Mahora's Worst Nightmare: The Dead Never Stay Dead
by Negimafan999
Summary: "My dear, The First was simply...should I say...a specimen. Not only did he allow his overconfidence to become his weakness, his ignorance caused him to almost destroy the virus. THAT...is a mistake I will avoid". Continuation of Mahora's Worst Nightmare!
1. Search And Rescue

**********Quick Notice! You must read the first 'Mahora's Worst Nightmare' to understand what is happening and how everything came to this point!**

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I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story

Mahora's Worst Nightmare: The Dead Never Stay Dead

**Monday 2:47AM - Outside The Library - Battlefield Ruins**

One day…it has been one day since that faithful night, where everything became silent. The whereabouts of Class 3-A are unknown to anyone, including the Self Defence Forces that remained hidden behind large metal walls for safety against the out of control virus that has now been distinguished. It was only now did they decide to expose themselves to the horror that took place, the unknown situation that unfolded between the survivors and the infamous creature known as 'The First'.

They didn't know how, they didn't know why, but they were convinced that everything was becoming a huge misjudgement. 'A riot' they would say. 'Drug users misusing vital items and experimenting with them, becoming savages' claimed the still sane survivors. Oh how wrong they were, very few knew about the conspiracy, but those who did kept it to themselves, not wanting to cause a panic that could lead to fingers being pointed, suspicions being risen as countries and people were accused of the unexplainable causes of the outbreak.

By now, they were familiar of the attacks, what would happen if one was bitten. But the question still remained, just what did happened during the vacancy of the Self Defence Force that forced the undead to fall? That is what they were going to find out…

News that a group of students had amazingly survived the traumatizing nightmare spread fast across the services, becoming an outstanding achievement that many found hard to believe. But orders were orders. A small task force has been assigned to wonder the streets, exploring the last known whereabouts of the group and attempting to discover any information that the students may give to how this all ended. It is still not clear if everything on the streets is both physically and mentally dead, hence forth the reason of a small group, a five person squad, all prepared for payback against anything that gets in their way. They will go out their, they will find the students, they will make it back safely, and they will succeed…

The five willingly voluntary soldiers walked through the murky streets filled with nothing but rotting bodies and sickly coloured blood. The stench was engulfing, irreversible and worst of all, gut wrenching as it made the strong, fit soldiers feel sick. Shrouds of mist covered the battlefield, most probably from where the bodies have been decomposing so much. The soldiers would slowly and carefully trot their way through the bodies, stepping over the flesh eating monsters and avoiding any contact with practically anything that wasn't the blood stained floor.

They reached the library, and the sight was….unusual, to say the least. The whole area was cracked, the ground, the walls, even the sky had oddly crooked clouds that swirled back and forth. Their was a circle of bodies surrounding the lower half of 'The First', it was unfortunate that the misled soldiers didn't know that.

"Damn…it looks like an earthquake hit this place" mumbled Jenkins.

"No reports of earthquake, those things caused this" replied Anderson.

"Stay focused soldiers, were here on a search and rescue mission, not a recon" growled the commanding officer, Tankins was his name.

"Yes sir…" replied both soldiers.

"Come on boys, this is the first time we've been out in weeks. Enjoy it while it lasts" interrupted Lilason, the only member of the team who was the opposite sex.

"Tsk, look around Lilason, not much to enjoy round here…" sarcastically moaned Boycee.

"Guys got a point, if this is paradise to you, I suggest you seek out help" smirked Anderson.

"Yeah, I'll get right on that as soon as help actually comes…" groaned Lilason.

"Enough, I want a full search of the area, no one goes alone, no one leaves this area, understand?" ordered Tankins.

"Yes sir!" shouted everyone.

"Jenkins, you're with me. The rest of you, stay frosty" notified Tankins.

They all nodded, splitting into two teams. Tankins and Jenkins crept around the bodies that were piled on top of each other, almost completely blocking the large smashed in doors that gave access to the library. Both quickly leeched themselves against the walls, raising their heavy guns high as they curled their head around the corner, blankly staring into the shroud of darkness that awaited them inside.

"You can tell these doors were forced open from the outside, debris scattered all over the place inside" informed Jenkins.

"Roger that, this area is to big to examine with just us two, retreat back and look for any evidence of life while we wait for the others to finish their search" demanded Tankins.

Jenkins quickly agreed, raising his hand and giving Tankins the thumbs up. The two pushed themselves of the wall, quickly treading through the bodies as their eyes scanned the disclosed battlefield.

Nearby were Lilason, Anderson and Boycee, all not exactly thrilled to be wondering the wastes of torn up bodies that Lilason could swear were all staring at her. The three stood in a triangle formation, all sync with each other as their footsteps collided and became one sound.

"So, you think the kids did this?" sudden asked Anderson.

"This? Really? If they could do this then im worried that were going to be replaced…" answered Boycee.

"Haha! Anything could replace you Boycee, you were born to fail at basically everything" joked Lilason.

"Humph, you seem to be enjoying you're time out of the cage" smirked Boycee.

"Hey, a tigers gotta have her exercise or she gets cranky, and you don't want that" grinned Lilason.

"Come on guys, stick to the mission. I don't want Tankins busting our ass when he finds out that we haven't been doing our job" exclaimed Anderson.

"Like those kids even survived…they got lucky, that's all" said Lilason.

"Hang on guys, let's check out this store. Looks like someone broke into it" intervened Boycee.

"Wow, what a surprise, a shop was broken into during an outbreak like this…you're a freaking genius Boycee" laughed Anderson.

"Look's like you didn't read the recent reports. This area was locked down, checkpoint seven held for a couple of days before being overrun by those…things. Unless their were some incredibly stupid soldiers that wanted to make a quick pit stop for food while those things flooded in, I doubt this place was broken into until after those survivors appeared. Their may be something we can find which can help us". explained Boycee.

Both Lilason and Anderson stared at Boycee, amazed that he came up with such an explanation.

"And when did you become this smart?" questioned Lilason.

"When you're a guy stuck in a room for days, you get bored and do things you wouldn't usually do…" smiled Boycee.

"Tsk, you knucklehead" smirked Lilason as she gently tapped her fist into Boycee's overly large head.

"Ok, cover formation, I'll go in first" ordered Anderson.

They all nodded with satisfaction, not showing much care that Anderson just volunteered to be the bait while they watched. It was funny, throughout their time together, they always played around and never took anything seriously. Then, when the required actions are needed, they become professional, as if they had never even heard a joke before in their lives. The thing was, neither of them noticed, which didn't bother them one bit, because that was apart of their training, to overcome the near enough impossible…although, a zombie apocalypse wasn't one of them.

With his gun firmly shoved against his shoulder, Anderson slowly shuffled through the already open door, aiming down his sights and he scoured the room for anything hostile while he knew that both Boycee and Lilason were watching his back, giving him confidence while feeling comforted by their presence.

The quietness made everything worse as Anderson could hear his heartbeats increase, becoming louder with adrenaline as the first few steps led him next to the counter which had a trail of blood sliding across it, concerning him for what happened. It wasn't until his foot thumped against something hard, something…dead. As he halted, Anderson felt his blood run cold while scornfully dragging his head down, revealing a man's body. It was the first time he had ever made contact with something from the outside, and it didn't feel good…especially with the thought that the same man before him could have been an innocent victim, begging for help but not receiving it. If only they were giving the permission…if only they could have been here would more people have survived.. But their damn commander denied it…selfishly caring about the safety of his fortified outpost that 'desperately' needed to be held. What a foul lie…

Looking back up, he decided that everything was safe and turned to his team mates who were patiently waiting for his verdict on the situation.

"Area clear, looks like nothing can help us here" notified Anderson.

"Roger that, our orders are clear, we go no further. Let's get back to Tankins and give him the news that the bastards aren't here…although I already predicted that" replied Lilason as she rolled her eyes with disbelief, wondering why no one listened to her in the first place.

The three rushed their way back to Tankins and Jenkins who were both not far from the library entrances, waiting for their arrival. Lilason stumbled forward, not caring that she wasn't really looking majestic enough to even be a soldier.

"Report, anything?" asked Tankins.

"No sir, nothing, no surprise might I add" answered Lilason.

"Roger that…we'll check this library out before going back to command…im sure he'll be thrilled to know that were still alive…and only us" sighed Tankins.

They began to walk, attempting to make their free time on the outside last before they were sealed within the steel walls that kept the relatively 'safe' from harm. Jenkins, being the technical geek in the group, was more aware of their surroundings and took note of how everything had been laid out, what interested him the most…was the lower half of 'The First', something he was yet to discover and most probably never will discover because of the amount of damage inflicted onto the immense creature, the holder of the virus, the father of the infection. Falling behind on purpose, Jenkins was tempted to examine the lower half, looking for any useful Intel that he could study while back at command. Perhaps he could make a breakthrough? He knew that if he didn't try, that would never happen.

Allowing the other four to continue ahead unnoticed of his vacancy, Jenkins quietly detoured to the right, approaching the mysterious unknown being before him. The fact that it was the only body that was actually in the giant circle fascinated him to the point that even he would disobey orders, and Jenkins wasn't like that at all.

Halting to a stop, Jenkins knelt down, closely inspection not only the lower half of 'The First' but the scenery as well. It was strange, apart for the wicked mutations influenced on the body, Jenkins was stunned by how much punishment the battered remains had taken.

"The ground has been scorched, that would explain the ghastly colour of the skin" whispered Jenkins.

He proceeded to lift his hand high, gently patting the crumbled skin that was barely stable, causing it to slightly crack in the process like an empty shell.

"The skin is rock hard…possibly a side effect for absorbing the blast of heat. But…how? The sun merely isn't hot enough to cause this…something burned this thing alive. Couldn't have been our guys, could it?" wondered Jenkins.

Adjusting his sight, Jenkins then took notice of the perfectly curved outline of the body, indicating that someone or something, cut the body in half with steady hands and perfectionist rhythm. It would take some skill to cut something so straight and easily, which then brought up the question. Who caused all of this? Surely not the recent students that survived all this?

Something then startled Jenkins, something he thought he would never see during this hole trip. Nauseatingly squirming out of the visibly cut open lower half was…well…that's the thing, Jenkins had no idea what it was. The Mawkish sound of the strange substance created a sickening wet sound, squiggling around and desperately attempting to escape. Jenkins didn't shout, he didn't run, he just stared, completely overwhelmed with scientific knowledge that he so badly needed to explain just what the hell that strange liquid was. Little did he know…it was what started this hole thing…and what Evangeline was so sure she ended…it was…..The Virus, barely withstanding the loss of it's vital cells that made it become what it was.

"What the…hell is that!" shouted Jenkins, alerting the others who were about the enter the library.

Turning with frustration, Tankins snarled with ignorance, unable to accept the fact that his squad was just a bunch of mindless ingrates that never followed orders. Although, Jenkins was a bit of a surprise to him.

"JENKINS! I order you to fall in and follow orders!" exclaimed Tankins.

Feeling harassed, Jenkins didn't hesitate to respond. After all, no strange black liquid was more scary than his commanding officer. It really was the first Tankins had actually become annoyed with Jenkins, which came to a shock for both of them.

Jerking his head around, Jenkins eyes shot opened with excitement as his recent discovery may be his moment of glory , everything he wanted could be down to obtaining this substance that weirdly enough revealed itself before him, doing….something that Jenkins couldn't officially explain or describe.

"Sir! Ahaha! I found something!" Loudly screeched Jenkins as he pointed to the black substance "I think you should-".

Just as Jenkins turned his head, the sudden discomfort disturbed him in so many ways that it forced him to yelp out like a dog. The Virus bounced of the lower half of The First and run up Jenkins outstretched arm, tenderly lusting for a host as it glided up his arm and launched itself onto Jenkins face, leeching to his skin. Like lightning, most probably from where it has been so desperate to find another user, The Virus slithered into Jenkins nostrils, forcing it to scream in pain while choking on the virus. He started to lose control, tightly grappling his head and swinging it crazily back and forth as he jumped to his feet.

"Jenkins! What's happening!" shouted Anderson as he ran to his aid.

"STAY BACK! IT'S TO RISKY!" screamed Tankins.

Completely ignoring Tankins orders, Anderson ran across the ruins, colliding with Jenkins who was still screaming in pain. Anderson drastically dropped his weapon and slammed his hands onto Jenkins shoulders, frantically shaking him and trying to regain control of his team mate.

"Calm down Jenkins! What's the matter!" anxiously asked Anderson, it was more of a demand rather than a request to get his answer.

"Boycee, get that idiot away from him!" ordered Tankins.

"Yes sir" answered Boycee, not seeming to disturbed or phased by what is happened.

Boycee calmly made his way across the ruins, not in a rush to exclude anything, which annoyed Tankins even further as Lilason just sat back and watched, amused by his reactions while at the same time concerned for Jenkins.

It wasn't until Boycee reached halfway that everything turned silent. Jenkins unwillingly started to twitch, faintly closing his eyes and the twitches intensified until finally…nothing. Jenkins halted to a standstill, silently breathing while doing so. Anderson then smiled, relieved that everything was ok…or so he thought.

"Damnit Jenkins, were gonna have to get you a lead, keep you obedient" chuckled Anderson, still gripping Jenkins shoulders.

Jenkins remained silent. Nothing to worry about, right? Wrong. Without warning, Jenkins lifted his right arm, slowly but firmly placing it against Andersons shoulder. Anderson simply took this as a friendly gesture and ignored the strange actions created by Jenkins, even if that wasn't like him…at all.

Impulsively, Jenkins grip tightened, digging into Andersons skin as he calmly jerked his should, attempting to throw Jenkins of him. It didn't work…his grip become tighter and tighter until Anderson was forced to take action. Feeling the pain become worse, he wrapped his hand around Jenkins wrist, struggling to pull him off.

"Gah! Get of me!" demanded Anderson, still unaware that it wasn't Jenkins…he was talking to.

He was panicking now, dreading the reason to why he ignored Tankins in the first place. Then Jenkins eyes opened…revealing nothing but paleness in his pupil, sadistically uniting the two with fear as Anderson couldn't resist the monster once known as Jenkins.

At that moment, a ghastly groan escaped through Jenkins mouth, startling Anderson before the fatal blow was stuck. As quick as it started was as quick as it ended, Jenkins ferociously launched himself at Anderson, attaching his teeth to Andersons neck and quickly digging his teeth through the skin, spreading the virus. Anderson screeched, unable to escape the clutches of Jenkins as fiercely thrusted his head back, tearing the flesh clean of and forcing Anderson to the floor with despair.

Boycee then froze as he watched the blood horrifically drip down Jenkins mouth and onto the floor, sending him into a frenzy of panic as he drastically backed away, seeking orders from Tankins.

"Sir! Sir hat do we do!" panicked Boycee.

"Shoot him! Shoot them both!" regrettably ordered Tankins.

A barrage of bullets viciously exited their weapons, unloading into Jenkins and the soon to be standing Anderson, staggering them back with each bullet not causing the slightest bit of damage to them. The haunting sound of their guns clipping indicated that they needed to reload. But that wasn't the problem. After three whole clips being forced into both of them, they were still walking…which forced them all to become afraid.

"They should be dead!" desperately shouted Boycee.

"Well their not, which means reload and keep firing!" growled Lilason.

Boycee did just that, unfortunately for him, he didn't know EVERYTHING….about this virus, which was bad news for him.

As he unsteadily attempted to reload his weapon, Boycee felt a sudden grip on his foot, forcing him to jump with dejection. Fearfully looking down, Boycee shockingly discovered the undead slowly recovering to their feet, rising around him as he frightfully stood In the middle of the reincarnation. A women held his lead, moaning as she prepared to feast his Boycee. That wasn't going to happen, not while he still had some fight left in him. Flipping his gun, he used the butt of it to smash the undead's face, forcing it to release it's grip and slumped it's face back into the already damaged ground.

"The head…Hey guys! Shoot them In the head!" shouted Boycee, unaware that he was just attracting more with the noise he made.

"BOYCEE, BEHIND YOU!" screamed Lilason.

Before he could act, another undead piled itself onto Boycee's back, violently dragging him down to his knees before injection the virus with a bite to the arm. He irritatingly yelled, forcing him to jump back and slam the undead into the ground, but to his displeasment, had no effect. It took another bite, closer to the neck this time, pulling Boycee's almost lifeless body to the ground before being overrun with more infected.

All Lilason and Tankins could do was helpless watch as their team mates died, as the horror began again, and as Jenkins smiled with pleasure, staring down the remaining soldiers as he screeched with delight, ordering his undead to attack.

"We can't stay here!" shouted Lilason.

"Don't you think I know that! We can't get back to command either! Were going to have to go around them and escape through Ivary Street !" noted Tankins.

"Are you crazy!".

"You have a better idea? I am ordering you to follow me through Ivary Street!".

"Tsk…yes sir" disappointedly agreed Lilason.

Narrowly avoiding the attacking undead, both soldiers ran, not knowing where they were going, what they were going to experience and if they were even going to make it out alive…

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**Monday 2:47AM - The Abandoned Hotel**

"Mana, you're shift is over" notified Negi, looking much better from yesterday's battle.

"Mmm, anything new happened with you?" asked Mana.

"Not that I'm aware of. Everyone's asleep in their own hotel room. Protectors like you and me are on standby for the next shift. Evangeline is…well, gone again, if I should say. She took Arikas too, which was a surprise. Oh, and Kotaro's patrolling the streets, checking up on everything, seeing if the dead really are still dead" explained Negi.

"Trust me, Setsuna and I made sure The First was dead" replied Mana.

"Better to be safe than sorry" inclined Negi.

"I just wonder when the Self Defence Force are going realise that everything is norma-…well, not normal…but under control. Then we'll have to go through their procedure crap that no one is going to like. If they try anything to any member of this group, you can be sure that we will not cooperate with them, that involves moving out again. We have plenty of supplies, so we can make the trips if needed".

"Is that really necessary? Aren't they just trying to help?" questioned Negi.

"This town could have used their help a few days ago, not now" groaned Mana.

Both were relatively high up. After searching the hotel, everyone felt more comfortable staying here, and they did. It seemed like a suitable place to remain until further notice. Of course, being high up did have it's advantages. Not only could you see something approaching from miles away, but the night sky was a beautiful scenery that overtakes a persons emotions and drowns them in relaxation while they waited for their shift to end.

At that point, the silence was broken. Gunfire violently echoed through the fresh air that was available high up, immediately activating Mana's instincts to look over the edge of the balcony they were currently standing on.

"Gunfire, not far from here. It sounds like it's coming from…the library?" whispered Mana.

"This doesn't look good, what do you suppose we do?" asked Negi.

"We need find Kotaro and Evangeline. Unless someone's gone insane, something has happened. Maybe looters, maybe the Self Defence Force, but im not taking any chances. Stay here and keep watch, im going down their" inclined Mana.

"Ah, wait! I can't let you go alone. I know this may seem useless now, but as you're teacher I cannot myself allow to put my students in danger without some kind of consideration that they will be safe".

Mana simply smirked, entertained by Negi's claim. Unzipping her black jacket, she swung one half of it open, revealing the recently obtained Howa Type 89 securely attached to the fabric. She winked at him, making Negi turn a light red colour of both embarrassment and forgetfulness.

"Thanks for the concern sensei, but I think I'll be fine on my own" smiled Mana.

And just like that, Mana set off, looking as if she was excited that something was happening. But Negi knew she was just concerned, which was just fine with him. It was shocking how after one day, he already forget that Mana practically led the team to victory against The First. What was their to worry about? She was perfectly capable of handling herself.

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**And Here's Chapter 1 of the continuation to the well enjoyed 'Mahora's Worst Nightmare".**

**I know the first part doesn't really involve anyone from class 3-A but no worries, from here on now, students will now be involved mostly throughout the story now. I just needed an opening for my story and this was the best I could come up with =P**

**Don't forget, im still going to be writing my 'An Eclipse Of Love And Sacrifice' Story, meaning that this will not be updated as regular as the last 'Mahora's Worst Nightmare'. I just wanted to get the first chapter out the way because I hate writing openings, and also I wanted to see what people thought of my work put into this so far. Did you like the event that happened? Did you think if could have been better?.**

**So, reviews will be appreciated and thanks for reading!**


	2. The Horror Begins Again

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday 2:47AM - Nova Street**

"I really don't think you two should have snuck out just to come with me…" worryingly announced Kotaro.

Walking down the foggy road full of bodies, Kotaro and his two delinquent acquaintances made their way through the lifeless street. The delinquents? None other than Fuuka and Fumika, bored out of their minds from doing nothing but quietly wait for the past few days, something they never expected or planned on doing.

"You shouldn't be going out on your own Wolfy" grinned Fuuka.

"Yeah, it could be dangerous out here" replied Fumika.

"Wolfy?" twitched Kotaro, unimpressed by the nickname he was just given, as if he were a dog.

"Uh huh, we both like that name better" informed Fumika.

"Yup" giggled Fuuka.

"Right…never call me that again. Besides, how is having you two out here any better for me? Aren't you grossed out by the bodies everywhere or something?" questioned Kotaro, slightly sceptical about how the twins seemed so calm.

"Because! We can be watchers for you!" shouted Fuuka, happily jumping up high with excitement.

"Yeah! Also, the bodies are a little scary…but we know that nothing could happen because you're here!" smiled Fumika.

"Heh, so I'm like…an idol to you?" smirked Kotaro.

"Mmm…nope, more like a bodyguard" answered Fuuka, unaware that Kotaro gave her a funny look.

"You'll keep us safe, right Wolfy?" interrupted Fumika.

"Depends on what mood im in…" joked Kotaro as he strolled ahead, leaving Fuuka and Fumika to ponder his answer, wondering if it was a joke or not.

"Ehh? Y-You don't m-mean that, do you?" stuttered Fumika.

"Maybe, Maybe not. Perhaps if you tell me why you're really out here, I may have a change of heart" grinned Kotaro, he figured that he could use this moment to his advantage.

"Ah! Ok ok! We'll tell you!" panicked Fuuka.

"We were bored and uh…Fuuka may have overheard the shifts and plans. We decided to tag along, thinking it would be fun" explained Fumika.

"Hey, don't pin this on me!" yelped Fuuka.

Just like that, the twins began arguing…again, nothing new in Kotaro's life. He was still amazed that it had already been a day since the fight with The First. The aches still remained though, but of course after being pummelled into the ground, it was going to take some time to heal, even for an Inugami like himself. The fascinating thing was, after the fight ended, Kotaro felt satisfied, knowing that he had the fight of his life and enjoyed every last bit of it. That isn't strange…is it? It wasn't for Kotaro, he was built for fighting, and he intended to continue if needed.

With the twins still arguing, Kotaro began to become infuriated with the constant yells crossing back and forth between the sinister twins, distracting Kotaro and disturbing his trusty senses. Stomping his feet into the ground, Kotaro agitatedly turned, making it obvious that he was annoyed.

"Ok! If I let you two help me scout the area, will you stop arguing?" questioned Kotaro.

Both Fuuka and Fumika redirected their sights to Kotaro, hesitantly looking back at each other before smiling and nodding to him.

"This is going to be fun!" shouted Fumika.

"We haven't done anything exciting in days!" shouted Fuuka.

"_Don't be surprised if that continues, nothing is out here anymore, not after we completely annihilated The First. His infected are worthless now" _pleasantlythought Kotaro.

Before he could respond, Fuuka quickly cut in, giving Kotaro no chance to even open his lips.

"I'm glad you're ok from yesterday Wolfy. Apart from Negi sensei, you're the only one that we can relate to. You have street smarts, you're strong and protective. And the best thing of all is that you're still ten, which make's you fun to play with sometimes" smiled Fuuka.

"And you let us come out with you. If it were Mana or Setsuna, we would have no choice but to stay because their more adult like, always worried about our safety. And you're…kinda cute too" complimented Fumika, becoming quiter with each word until the end.

Kotaro then glared at Fumika, unable to convince himself that she was being serious. Did she really just say that he was cute? Or was it his imagination?

"Uh…what was that last thing you said?" asked Kotaro.

"Ohh, nothing" giggled Fumika, shortly joined by Fuuka.

Still alarmed, Kotaro roughly rubbed the back of his head with confusion, wondering what the twins found so funny. He then shrugged it of, remembering that he had more important things to deal with.

At that moment, the sound of gunfire ricocheted through the narrow road, vibrating through the air and bouncing of walls all into Kotaro's directions, hitting him like a tidal wave. His immediate actions were to dive down, grabbing onto Fuuka and Fumika's wrists and dragging them along with him. The three hit the ground hard, forcing the girls to moan with annoyance.

"Oww, Wolfy, you could have just asked!" shouted Fuuka.

"Yeah, that was mean!" shouted Fumika.

Ignoring them, Kotaro concentrated on nothing but the sound, effetely attempting to determine where it came from. The twins went silent, curious to what Kotaro was doing. Fumika lifted her hand, firmly placing two fingers over her lips as she struggled to understand what was happening while Fuuka looked around, twisting her hip as she looked from side to side in practically every direction, seemingly worried that something was about to happen. And she was right…

Behind them, a body began to flinch, barely looking human. The flinches turned into movements as the infected scraped it's fingers through the dirt, grasping the ground enough to push itself upright until it's feet did the rest of the work, balancing itself until it was standing tall. Fuuka turned again, this time though, she was met with the frightening sight of an undead slowly approaching them, dragging one foot across the floor with it's arms stretched out, lusting for flesh to feed on, and it just so happened that Fuuka was it's target.

She didn't know what to do at first. Her hands unsteadily shook as Fuuka quietly whimpered, frantically patting the ground behind her to get Kotaro's attention while still watching the monster glare at her.

"W-W-Wolfy" whispered Fuuka.

Kotaro remained silent, as if he never heard Fuuka in the first place. The tears slowly crept into the corner of Fuuka's eyes as she became desperate, trying her best to avoid the creature while begging for Kotaro's assistance.

"W-Wolfy" whimpered Fuuka, feeling the first tear drop.

"Quite, I need to consent-"

"KOTARO!" screamed Fuuka as she started to crawl back.

The ear bursting scream made Kotaro jump, forcing him to pound his fist against the floor to keep himself in control. Jerking himself back, Kotaro then realised why Fuuka screamed. Inches away from the now crying Fuuka was an infected, ghastly groaning. It took another step closer, close enough to have it's chance. The infected pounced forward, about to slam into the innocent Fuuka who was helplessly lying on the floor. All of a sudden, Kotaro barged into the undead, spearing it away from Fuuka and becoming entangled within it's grip.

The two girls watched as Kotaro grappled the creature. With him on the bottom, the large infector's weight was sure to be a burden to Kotaro as he skirmished with the undead, keeping it's hands away and stopping it from pulling Kotaro any closer. Fuuka and Fumika watched it horror, unaware of the growing undead getting to their feet.

Kotaro cringed his teeth as they clearly became visible. He slightly tilted his head, managing to catch Fuuka and Fumika in the corner of his eye.

"G-Go! Get back to the hotel and inform everyone!" shouted Kotaro, his face started turning red with exhaustion. Never before had he grappled with such a creature, this was a first, and he didn't like it. Mainly because he never experienced it before, and Kotaro hated being cheated out of a win.

Both twins couldn't believe what they just heard. Instead of asking for help, Kotaro was far more concerned with their safety rather than his own. Reluctant to leave him, the twins had trouble following his request, even if the undead that they now knew were coming back were closing in.

"B-B-But…We can't leave you!" sobbed Fumika, uncontrollably crying with her sister.

"I'll be fine! J-Just go!" growled Kotaro as he narrowly avoided a bite to the arm.

The twins continued to hesitate before finally being forced to move by the growing number of undead. They didn't like it, they regretted it in fact, but this was what Kotaro wanted and being a bother to him now wasn't gong to help. Both twins knew that. They anxiously started to run, both looking back and quickly having second thoughts.

Now that they were sure to be safe, Kotaro could focus more on staying alive. He had been bitten by one of these before, and it wasn't pleasant. The constant feeling of headaches pounding against you're skull as the temperature dramatically increased was something he never wanted to experience again. It was a bad dream, a nightmare. One bite and you're done, unless Konoka is nearby, but Kotaro wasn't exactly planning on that.

The undead's grip would tighten each passing second, giving Kotaro no choice but to let out faint yelps to ease the pain. It's stench and pale looking skin wasn't helping, it just made Kotaro feel nauseous. He finally managed to gain control by head butting the undead. A risky move, but it worked as it gave him the opportunity to push his feet against the ground, overturning the infected and allowing Kotaro more movement as he dangerously sat on top of the horrific monster. Escaping the undead's grip, Kotaro growled with revenge as he repeatedly slammed his fist into the undead's face, denting it in the process until the undead became just another point to his death toll…which has yet to be discovered and counted.

Drastically jumping to his feet, Kotaro looked around, desperate for a way out and to make sure Fuuka and Fumika make it back ok. Their were no openings, he was surrounded. The fact that the infected are back disturbed Kotaro, didn't Evangeline vaporize the virus? Now wasn't the time to be looking for an answer, especially as the undead readied themselves, preparing to launch one another at Kotaro.

"This is impossible! I don't know how you're all back…but no one threatens my friends! I'm going to put you all back down onto that floor and make my escape!" exclaimed Kotaro, raging for an explanation to why they were walking amongst the living again.

Raising his fists, Kotaro charged through the hordes of undead. He crashed into them, flinging them over him and into the air as he attempted to get back to the hotel. He was forced to stop as an undead clenched his wrist. Kotaro thrusted his right arm forward, pulling the infected closer where it connected with Kotaro's left fist and sending it flying across the road, knocking into any undead and either pushed them out of the way or forced them to join the heavily unstoppable energy wave. The bodies piled on top of each other as they reached the end, slamming hard into a nearby wall and giving Kotaro access to a small pathway created.

It didn't last long though as the undead easily engulfed the small gap, giving him no chance to even make his escape. Beginning to worry for Fuuka and Fumika's safety, Kotaro started taking drastic measures. He quickly clenched his fists and connected them together, crossing his fingers over one another. Raising his joined hands high above his head, Kotaro fiercely pushed them down, colliding with the ground and launching the available concrete before him to lift up and cause the undead to scatter as if an explosion had just hit.

With the aches from yesterday and the short battle that just happened, Kotaro slowly became tired as he drowsily stumbled across the now clear road that had undead falling from the sky and bouncing of the ground, creating an ear piercing sound of bones crunching and snapping. But that didn't stop them, they still came, they still rose, and Kotaro was almost out of options.

Heavily breathing, he prepared for close combat, waving his fists around and carefully pin pointing what to attack if necessary. From being so exhausted, his eyesight started going blurry with tiredness, causing Kotaro to tremble for a few moments before straightening up again.

"I have…to f-find…the t-twins" huffed Kotaro.

The next infected snarled at Kotaro, only to be silenced at he delivered a gut wrenching punch to the stomach, allowing Kotaro to uppercut the undead as it kneeled down.

He then proceeded behind him, elbowing the next undead in the chest and quickly twirled himself, stretching his leg out while kicking the undead away. Rapidly turning to his side, he knelt down on his right knee, dodging an undead pounce and punching it on the hip, staggering it back.

No matter how powerful he was, Kotaro was greatly outnumbered and he wasn't in any condition to be fighting alone. He may have experience with the creatures, but strength never did anything when fighting alone, he needed help. If not help, then at least an escape route.

Hysterically, Kotaro was barely holding out on his own. Just after punching an undead away, another took it's place, taking Kotaro by surprise as it was about to leech itself onto him. At that moment, a gunshot was heard. The undead in front of Kotaro froze before falling back, revealing a bullet wound to the back of it's head. As Kotaro looked up, from afar, his saviour was revealed.

"Let's go!".

* * *

**Monday 2:47AM - Outside The Abandoned Hotel**

Mana leaped out of the hotel doors, skidding across the surface with her rifle aimed high against her shoulder as she closely focused through the sights. Apart from the debris and scattered bodies, nothing was causing a disturbance. It was as if the gunshots were something she wanted to hear, therefore becoming a fragment in her mind that made her believe that they were real. That can't be possible though, not when Negi was alerted by the same sound. Just a coincidence? She doubted it.

Still aiming, Mana shifted herself through the field of death, slowly tiptoeing over bodies that she would prefer to be gone, but nothing can be perfect, not anymore. Her eye started to dry up from staring to long through the hole that increased the range, giving Mana the burning sensation the hazardly began to sting, preceding her eyes to constrain any tears out to keep them wet. Eventually, she pulled away, rapidly blinking to stop the irritating feeling that she demised.

It all seemed clear, but that didn't stop Mana from lowering her guard. With her hands tightly constricted to her weapon, as if they were glued to it, she continued to rummage around, hoping that whatever created that gunfire was long gone, otherwise dead bodies were going to be the least of her worries.

What about walking dead bodies though? Surely enough that would seem improbable, if not impossible. After being sliced in half, burned, battered and two rifle shot's to the brain, it would take a miracle for The First to even be crawling right now, let alone living. As for the virus, Evangeline destroyed it, and she never makes mistakes when it comes to something as serious as that…or so Mana hoped.

Suddenly, a gust of wind jolted through the air like static, slamming into Mana and staggering her back and few steps, forcing her to shield her eyes from the unexpected occurs of nature. Not only was it surprising, but the sudden blast of wind aroused Mana, not in a good way, but to the point that she could tell that something was about to happen. The slightest hint of distress was detected in the wind, followed by loud shrieks that whistled past her ear like a whisper. Mana frantically looked around, patiently looking calm and showing no fear as her prediction came true. Something did happen, but she never anticipated that the horror would return…that the dead…would walk again.

Becoming like the ocean, bodies of the undead started to ominously rise one by one, some falling back to the ground with a glimpse of hope for Mana, only to have it crushed by their repulsive actions to try again and again, attempting to get to their feet.

Mana stuttered, becoming overwhelmed with disbelief to the event unfolding before her. The First was dead! How were they coming back! So many questions flowed through her mind, deeply worrying her as she raised her rifle high again, prepared to fire.

With the first undead in her sight, she hesitantly squeezed the trigger, only to have the shot redirected into the ground by a nearby undead that barged into Mana, unable to attain it's grip while doing so. Mana trembled to the side before regaining her balance, grinding her teeth together while doing so. She hated being disturbed, especially when she's about to perform her skill of taking enemies down with one shot.

The infected stumbled forward, viciously groaning with temptation for Mana as it outstretched it's arms, inches away from her. Mana thrusted her foot up, using her flexibility to her advantage as her foot made contact with the undeads jaw, jerking it back and forcing it to fall back and hit the ground hard. As another undead approached, Mana twirled her gun, aiming the butt of it at the undeads face and shunting the heavy end into it's face, creating an instant knock out.

"_Their's to many, I need to find the others before returning to the hotel" _thought Mana.

At that moment, a large crash was hard that shattered the ground below Mana. From afar, crows of undead shot up into the air, scattering across the area and landing on roofs, roads and even cars. The impact was devastating when they hit the ground as wet cracking sounds depleted through the sound waves that echo across the street.

"_Kotaro…_" thought Mana with relief, smirking while doing so.

Kotaro sure knew imaginative ways to get peoples attention, because it certainly gained Mana's. Without a second thought, she started to run, avoiding the rising undead's grip and getting closer to reuniting with the pointy eared Hanyō. The further down she went, the larger the horde of undead grew, forcing Mana into a desperate situation. Worried that she may not make it in time, Mana launched herself at a nearby white van, skilfully climbing the side of it like a spider. Pulling herself up, she slumped one knee onto the edge, making it easier to climb the rest of the way. It didn't take long before she was upright on the no longer functioning vehicle, giving her a better view.

The sight she witnessed was horrifying, even for Mana. From afar, surrounded by the undead, was Kotaro, struggling to keep control as he attempted to fend of the never ending crows of infected. Looking through her sight, she watched Kotaro punch back an undead hard before being caught of guard by another. Just as it was about to pounce Kotaro, Mana squeezed the trigger, allowing the bullet to escape from her weapon and gracefully fly through the air in a straight line. The bullet impacted with the back of the undead's head, forcing it to he floor as Kotaro desperately looked around, spotting Mana within seconds.

"Let's go!" shouted Mana, still aiming her rifle towards any nearing undead that could harm Kotaro.

* * *

**Heres chapter 2 for you're enjoyment!**

**Any reviews would be appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Look Out Kotaro!

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday 2:47AM - The Alleyway**

Evangeline, Chachamaru and Akiras stood in the empty, mallow alleyway. The fact that Evangeline had to take care of this motherless child didn't bother her as much as knowing that she was going to have to stick with it, no matter how irritating Akiras got. Although, when being around her, their was obviously going to be a price to pay.

Roughly against the brick wall with her arms crossed over one another, Evangeline patiently waited with her eyes close and head tilted down, enjoying the little quite time she had, which wasn't much as Akiras would break he silence within minutes, but who could blame her? A young child was hard to please and almost impossible to remain quite.

"Mummy, when can we go back to the big house with lots of rooms?" asked Akiras.

Chachamaru blankly stared at Akiras, fascinated by the phrase "mummy" used towards her master. It was a new thing for Evangeline. She didn't know when it started, or why, but Akiras was now referring her to her mum. Every time she hears that one word used in a sentence directed at her, it would her twitch. She hated it, even if it made Akiras happy. But upsetting her was the last thing Evangeline would do, especially since upsetting her was what started the mother daughter relationship between the two.

"Ki- uh, Akiras. I said it before and I'll say it again. Don't call me that" replied Evangeline, still getting use to calling Akiras by her first name.

"Why?" arrogantly questioned Akiras.

With her eyes still closed, Evangeline sighed with frustration. Even a child as sweet as Akiras had their bad points.

"Because you know as well as I do that I'm not you're mother. My names Evangeline, and I want it kept that way. If you can't follow that, then I'll just have to reconsider taking care of you…not that im exactly enjoying it that much now" growled Evangeline, going back to her harsh ways.

"S…Sorry mumm- I mean…Evangeline" softly whispered Akiras, sounding sad and disappointed.

That's where everything would change for Evangeline. The surge of new feelings would kick in, making her feel bad for the overly mistaken child. Evangeline realised that she wasn't playing around, she wasn't winding her up. Akiras jut wanted someone to call a mother. Evangeline already unwillingly accomplished the looks and personality, but to be called the actual word was disturbing, something she wasn't thrilled to be addressed as. Maybe in due time things would work out, but for now, she had to sort things out with Akiras.

"I'm keeping my opinion. I would much rather be called Evangeline for now. I know it's hard for a child like you to understand, but im not, nor will I ever be, you're true mother, no matter how much you want it. I will admit, these surge of feelings you have given me are…sceptical, but once I put things right they become a pleasurable feeling. For now, call me Evangeline, and we can work on the whole mother thing later. I'm just not exactly thrilled that im going to be stuck with you for most of my time now. But at certain times…im glad you're here" explained Evangeline, opening one eye and smirking while doing so.

At first, Akiras didn't know how to respond. Was Evangelines answer good or bad? It sounded relatively good to Akiras, and that was good enough for her as she perked up, smiling back at the wicked vampire.

"Ok…uh…Evangeline?".

"Mmm…you're getting their" replied Evangeline, knowing that if Akiras was learning to deal with it, then she would have to deal being called a mother by a child that's not even hers.

Akiras was fidgeting around now, making it obvious that she was bored. Evangeline twitched to why she even came in the first place, and it wasn't something she could simply shrug of like everything else, because Akiras was special to her. She didn't understand how or why, but she just cared about what happened to the child.

"Why did you come with me? Surely you knew that I would be doing nothing but this" asked Evangeline.

Slowly tilting her head down with embarrassment, Akiras continued to fidget around, wrapping one finger around the other and criss crossing the rest.

"I….I just, like spending time with you mumm-Ah! I mean, Evangeline" whispered Akiras, becoming louder with each word.

A reasonable answer, one that she found hard to believe. Who would want to hang around someone as harsh as her? That's exactly the reason to why she is harsh most of the time!

"Tsk, I find that hard to believe" sighed Evangeline, closing her eyes again.

"But it's true…you an be mean at times…but you care about me" informed Akiras.

It caught her by surprise. Akiras really did mean it, which just made Evangeline feel weird inside. Not in a bad way, but to the point that she would forget her last opinion and automatically replace it with the sensation that someone was their for her if she needed it. The two had a rough bond, but it would always be worth it when they realised the care they give each other.

"Thanks…Akiras" whispered Evangeline.

Without warning, a sickening groan was heard behind Akiras. Evangeline quickly flickered her eyes open, demanding to know who disturbed her while Chachamaru remained in the same stance, slightly tuning her head to witness what caused the noise.. The sudden figure stood at the opening on the alleyway, glaring down at Akiras, lusting for her, drowning in it's own needs for her. The sight troubled Evangeline, none of the students apart from Kotaro should be on the streets, and the figure was far to tall to be the Inugami.

Pushing herself of the wall, she didn't hesitate to step out in front of Akiras, slightly pushing her back while doing so as Akiras grabbed hold of Evangelines leg, uncertain to be scared or not. The figure was hidden by the shadow of the alleyway, barely visible as it consumed the darkness. The sinister expression of the figure was heavily grieved, looking barely sustainable to it's own actions.

Evangeline stood her ground, watching as the figure took another step closer, forcing her to raise her guard and prepare to counter any attack. Although, their wasn't much she could do in her human form. Without the full moon, she was just another student. Luckily Chachamaru was their, fully charged and awaiting further orders from her master, which she predicted would happen very soon.

"Come any closer, and you'll be torn apart" warned Evangeline.

The shrouded figure continued to move forward, staggering back and forth, narrowly missing the wall as it swerved around, attempting to regain it's balance only to fail.

"Master, scanner indicate that this man has no heart beat, but brain waves continue to release themselves. Shall I interact?" questioned Chachamaru.

Looking up at Chachamaru with disbelief, Evangeline struggled to think of a reply. From what Chachamaru just told here…this man was infected. But she was so sure that the virus was destroyed…their must be another reason.

"That's impossible. Scan again" ordered Evangeline.

She did just number. A rhythm of buzzing hummed through Chachamaru as she double checked. It was rare for her to be wrong, so why was Evangeline so convinced that she would start making mistakes now?

"I received the same results master, this man is deceased" revealed Chachamaru.

"How can that be? This virus is gone. I you saying that I made a mistake?" growled Evangeline, slowly backing away as the undead stumbled closer for Akiras protection.

The infected outstretched it's arms, looking past Evangeline with it's sight set on Akiras. She was still easily visible, giving Evangeline no chance to hide her. Their was only one option.

"Chachamaru, eliminate this fool before us. Remember, destroy the head" demanded Evangeline, quickly covering up Akiras eyes.

"Yes master…" replied Chachamaru.

Clanking her feet across the ground, Chachamaru raised her right hand up, activating the blade and letting it swiftly exit her wrist with speed, making a 'chinging' noise while doing so. The infected's sight lifted from the ground where Akiras was to Chachamaru, who was overlooking it with arrogance. The undead opened it's mouth, ghastly exhaling as it twitched with inability. The torn up torn then growled, which was very unusual for the undead, and leaped at Chachamaru, using one hand to grab her shoulder and the other to grasp her beautiful green flowing hair, not affecting her the slightest. Pulling hard on her hair, it forced her to tilt her head to one side as it dragged her closer, giving it the chance to strike. The infected jerked itself forward, as if it had been pushed, and scraped it's teeth across Chachamaru's delicate skin and bouncing of the metal, leaving a small dent.

Chachamaru immediately responded by thrusting her hand high, slicing through the undeads arm that gripped her shoulder and carefully jolting it through it's neck, cutting any connection from the brain to the other body parts or vital organs. The undead froze, flinching while doing so. With it still grasping Chachamaru's hair, it fell to it's knees, then sloped back, hitting the surface hard as it released her hair.

Chachamaru then turned back to Evangeline, not looking startled at all.

"It is complete, master" notified Chachamaru.

"Yes, I see…but no doubt there are more" responded Evangeline.

And she was right, seconds later, more undead started pouring into the alleyway, all looking torn up and lusting for more food to dwell down their hunger. Evangeline gasped with suspense and quickly reacted knowing that Chachamaru would be overwhelmed within seconds.

"Chachamaru, activate you're jets and take us to the roof!" exclaimed Evangeline.

"Yes master" replied Chachamaru, retracting her blade back into her wrist and robotically activating her jets.

Evangeline wrapped one arm around Akiras waist tight as Chachamaru grabbed Evangelines hand, quickly blasting themselves into the intoxicated air and creating s large amount of smoke that completely covered the undead in the alleyway. It didn't take her long to reach the top and gentle landed on the flat surface, letting go on Evangeline and a mortified Akiras while doing so. The three landed upright on the roof, where Akiras fell back from exhaustion from where so much had been happening.

Evangeline, completely forgetting Akiras for a moment, strolled over to the edge, slapping her hands onto the railings and curling her head over the building. The sight wasn't exactly pleasant as the dead walked the streets again, hunting for food and roaming any possible space.

"So…it's happened again…" whispered Evangeline, slightly looking forward to the events ahead.

* * *

**Monday 2:58AM - Nova Street**

"Let's go!" exclaimed Mana, still aiming through her rifle.

She took another two shots, both left and right of Kotaro as two infected leaped at him, only to have the bullets uncontrollably spin them away as they pierced the skin. Kotaro deeply inhaled, gather the strength needed for his required actions. Bending his knees, Kotaro pushed himself up, cracking the ground under him as he shot up into the sky, flying through the stench of rotting flesh and landing on top of an undead's shoulders, already halfway to Mana's position.

Like stepping stones, Kotaro hopped across the hordes, skidding his rough trainers across the soulless creatures while inches away from their grasp. Closer and closer he got, nearing a better chance of escaping. But the more time he took, the better the undead near Mana prepared themselves. Infected near the white van sentimentally twisted themselves, raising their poorly navigated hands up high and making everything harder for Kotaro. With Mana in his sights and the vicious infected aware of his tactics, Kotaro made a risky move. With barely any room to gather enough force, Kotaro put himself in jeopardy and leaped over the undead, manoeuvring across the left over infected in the way and crashing onto the hood on the van face first, denting the hard metal and shattering the front window

The van slightly tilted up on impact, making Mana lose balance for a second as she staggered around, almost falling of the edge. Feeling the aches double in pain, Kotaro felt paralyzed, barely feeling his own blood flow as the ferocious collide filled him with numbness. Twitching for movement, Kotaro slowly crawled up the scarcely smashed in glass, struggling to hold his weight. All of a sudden, Kotaro faintly felt a hand strap itself onto his ankle. An undead leaned over the hard metal, attempting to drag Kotaro closer within biting range.

Mana, only just regaining her balance, looked back over to Kotaro who was sliding down the front of the van, unable to hold onto anything as he tried so hard to pull himself back up. His foot jolted back, booting the undead in the face, but not hard enough to stun it. Mana quickly aimed, fearing the sight she saw through the sights as the undead prepared to bite Kotaro. Her gun echoed throughout the area, releasing the bullet as it slightly swerved thanks to the wind, splitting into the right side of the undead's forehead and jerking it back, allowing Kotaro to escape it's grip.

Mana quickly knelt down, stretching out her left arm and grabbing Kotaro's wrist while the other kept a firm grasp on her rifle. She pulled hard, slithering the Hanyō boy across the unstable glass and onto the roof of the van where she safely remained. As long as the undead couldn't climb, they were safe.

Kotaro, who was gasping for air, roughly rolled himself onto his back, allowing him to face Mana who was looking back down at him.

"Are you ok? Did you get bitten?" questioned Mana.

"Hehe…Nah, I-I'm good" replied Kotaro, looking as if he had the time of his life out their.

Mana sighed with joy, losing Kotaro would have been devastating for her, especially if she was the one who had to shoot him. Turning back to the overlook of the roads, their seemed to be no way of getting back without using high ground.

Meanwhile, Kotaro struggled to lift himself of the floor. Raising one knee high, he slumped his foot against the roof, giving him a chance to push himself of using the support of it as he clamped his hands in top his knee. Pushing hard, Kotaro leaned up, firmly placing his other foot on the roof and regaining his usual stance as he straightened up, looking as if nothing was wrong with him. Watching Mana, he decided to help and looked around, looking for a way out. Their was still one thing bothering him though…

"Yo, did Fuuka and Fumika get back safely?" asked Kotaro.

Mana flinched, slowly turning her head while doing so. Just what did he mean why that?

"I wasn't aware of their presence…" frowned Mana, shocked by what she had just learned.

"Uh…please tell me they ran past you…" whispered Kotaro.

"Kotaro..…I didn't see them. Care to explain why two defenceless girls were out here with you?" questioned Mana, sounding furious while doing so.

"Ah crap…Kaede's gonna kill me" shivered Kotaro.

Mana angrily wrapped her hand around his wrist, squeezing it with concern.

"Answer the question" growled Mana.

"Look, it wasn't my fault ok? One of them overheard the plans going on today and they snuck out on my patrol. What was I suppose to do? Drag them both back to the hotel? You know how I am with girls" explained Kotaro.

She released her grip, pushing Kotaro's hand away before pulling hers down by her side. Now this was more than just keeping the hotel safe. Fuuka and Fumika are some of the most defenceless students in the group. How were they going to handle themselves on their own during an outbreak like this?

"This is serious. We have to find them!" exclaimed Mana.

"I know we do! I told them to go back to the hotel but that would have required going past you. Which means that they either ran the completely wrong direction, or took a diversion through an alleyway or something similar" informed Kotaro.

"We can't lose them, not another two. We are unfortunately already missing three members of Class

3-A and I don't plan on losing anymore!" shouted Mana.

"We need more help. I suggest we get back to the hotel and request Negi or Chachamaru to fly around and look for them. We can keep an eye out for them on the balcony. It shouldn't be hard spotting two pink haired girls from a mile away".

"Yes…but how can we get back…" whispered Mana, hardly keeping in her desperation.

They both didn't have long, mainly because they needed to act fast if the twins were going to survive. While Kotaro looked around, he noticed a lamp post relatively close to the roof of a nearby building.

"Look, over their. We can use that lamp to get to the roof of that building. It pretty much leads to the hotel, all we'll have to do is find a way into the building safely without leading the horde through the front door" informed Kotaro.

"Good idea, but how am I going to get from here to that lamp?" asked Mana.

"I'll throw you…" answered Kotaro.

Mana stared at Kotaro, not exactly thrilled about the idea, but it was better than nothing, she could admit that.

"Fine…" whispered Mana, strapping her weapon back into her jacket and making sure it was secure.

Turning to the edge of the van, Mana raised her arms, readying herself to swing on the green post so that she could get to the building. Kotaro walked up behind her, circling his arms around her and tightly gripping her hips, making Mana feel uncomfortable and forcing her to have second thoughts.

"Uh…are you sure about this? Moments ago you could barely walk…" informed Mana.

"Nah, you'll be fine" smirk Kotaro.

Silently gulping, Mana had no chance to decline as she felt Kotaro pull her back, gaining the strength needed to throw her. He let out a loud grunt as he pushed her, lifting up Mana high as he slowly released his grip of her. The silent assassin wasn't so silent anymore as she particularly whimpered, afraid that Kotaro didn't throw hard or soft enough. But, eventually shut reached the post with perfect accuracy and rhythm. Gripping the pole, Mana didn't hesitate to continue that experience by sliding over the undead, feeling her fingers slip and lose the grip, causing her to spin through the air before forward rolling onto the building.

Leaning on one knee, Mana quietly sighed with suspense, relieved that everything went according to plan. But now, it was Kotaro's turn. She quickly rose and turned, revealing Kotaro who was already preparing himself as he took a few steps back, convinced that he could easily make it. She gracefully smiled, making Kotaro feel warm inside as it sealed the deal for his success, just what he needed.

He took the first step, then the next. About to jump, Kotaro suddenly froze, barely keeping his balance on the edge. Why did he freeze? Looking down, he noticed a shadow growing larger and larger with each passing second. The shadow was square, as if in a form of a…..car?

Frantically looking to his right, Kotaro was shocked to learn that a misty black car had been tossed across the road by someone or…something. It cut through the air, growing in speed as it was seconds away from connecting with Kotaro, whether it be his fist or body.

Mana watched in horror as everything slowed down, like they did in the movies. It was an unnatural time for her, but everything else was…different, but no matter what she did, nothing would help. Hearing her own heart beat, Mana looked back at Kotaro who was turning back to her, staring into her eyes as she detected the slightest result of fear deep within Kotaro, bursting out at that moment. His expressions said everything. "Find them" was what it told Mana. Then, it happened. As soon as the tip of the bashed up car connected with Kotaro, reality came back to haunt Mana. The speed went back to normal as the memory engulfed her. The flying car smashed into Kotaro, bending slightly as he attempted to hold it back, only to fail as it swept him of his feet, flinging him across the air as the car blocked any view of Kotaro escaping.

Mana staggered back with revulsion, shock, disbelief. That couldn't have been it…Kotaro is tougher than that, he can withstand that sort of force, no matter how strong it was thrown. It then brought up the question, who threw it? Mana hesitantly looked across to the left, trying her hardest to spot the attacker. It was almost impossible until…until it became clear.

Storming through the hordes of undead who wondered around in one spot, was a soldier. His uniform was similar to the Self Defence Force but slightly adjusted to his liking. The colour was a spotty green and black camouflage colour that was severely torn up while blood was splattered across it's mouth, dripping down to the floor. But the eyes…the glowing red eyes was something Mana could never forget. It was the same eyes as The First, which alarmed her.

It wasn't possible, The First was dead. The virus was vaporized! How can it be possible! The questions revolved around Mana's mind as so much happened in just mere seconds. The soldier didn't look happy, furious in fact. The look on it's face was enough to tell Mana that this thing had a grudge against them. Was this the new leader? Did this thing throw that car? Mana wasn't in a rush to find out…

The soldier known an Jenkins turned to Mana, sickly grinning at her as it was impressed by it's own actions. But now she was next, she was…it's target. Looking at nothing but the black beautiful widow, the infected soldier started to run, violently pushing any infected aside as it was anxious to reach Mana. Responding quickly, she aimed her rifle prepared to fire. Just as she was prepared to squeeze the trigger, a gust of wind shot past her, shortly followed by the exact same car thrown at Kotaro.

With the soldier still focused on Mana, it was too late to dodge the approaching weight. They both collided, knocking back the infected soldier as the car continuously rolled through the hard concrete, most likely dragging the soldier with it.

Surprised by the sudden event, Mana turned back to her right where immediately she sighted Kotaro. But it wasn't exactly hard, not when Kotaro was covered in spiky black fur and spread out across his body. For the first time since the Kyoto field trip, Kotaro managed to reveal his beast form, and it wasn't a pretty sight as he howled with rage.

The claws attached to his fingers glistened bright with razor sharpness as he outstretched them, looking as if he was prepared for anything. He knew he didn't have long before reverting back to his old form, so he didn't waste time. Instantly turning to Mana, he smirked, at least giving her the thought that he was under control, otherwise things were going to get messy.

His strength and speed had dramatically increased, but that wasn't a good thing. As soon as he changed back, Kotaro would barely keep himself conscious. Tightly cringing his claws, the impressive Inugami scraped them into the ground as he knelt down. Then, he pushed hard using both his feet and hands, thrusting himself high into the air. Waving his arms and legs around, Kotaro was now transforming back, dangling around like a rag doll while doing so. It didn't take long for him to fly over Mana, and brutally crash onto the roof, rolling around many times before screeching to a halt.

Instantly worried, Mana trembled forward, overlooking the inane ten year old boy that used everything he had to keep her safe. In a way, she felt honoured, even if it wasn't necessary. Kotaro laid their, silently blacking out into unconsciousness, having his last blurry image an outline of Mana.

First things first, Mana needed to examine Kotaro for any injuries. Apart from a few scrapes and bruises, he looked fine. Although his jacket and shirt were ruthlessly shredded to oblivion, revealing most of Kotaro's chest and stomach. It looked terrible, but really he was seemingly fine , but that was no reason to remain satisfied. Fuuka and Fumika was missing and both her and Kotaro needed to get back to the hotel before the strange infected soldier returned.

Tiredly, Mana carefully lifted Kotaro up and over her shoulder, gaining more weight on one side. That didn't bother her though, because as she started walking, she knew that after all that, nothing was going to stop her from repaying Kotaro the favour by returning back to the hotel, where he will be met with friendly faces and comfort.

Gently, after a horrific night, she walked back using the roof, hoping that everything at the hotel was ok…and that they would receive a warm welcoming before going back into the outburst to find the twins…who she desperately wished were ok. Apart from the moaning and groaning…everything was silent, just how the night should be. It has started again…which means they need to end it again.

* * *

**Here's chapter 3 for you're enjoyment!**

**This was a fun chapter to write! Although, the part with Evangeline and Akiras went slow. I had to rewrite that part three times before becoming satisfied with it! =P**

**Any reviews will be appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Weeping Twins

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday 3:09AM - Ivary Street**

"A-Are you sure we should have went t-this way?" sobbed Fumika, hastily running by her sisters side.

The twins were forced to take a detour. With so many undead in their way, the frightened girls were eager to escape by any means possible. While running back through Nova street, both narrowly avoided contact with the infected, causing Fuuka to take action as she grabbed her sisters hand and ran around the closest street leading them to the unfamiliar Ivary street. That didn't mean that they were safe, undead still roamed the streets, slowly staggering towards the quivering girls who were running out of options.

"W-We needed to keep running, I had no choice b-but to go this way!" exclaimed Fuuka, holding Fumika's hand for comfort while trying to keep together.

"B-But, the hotel is back their!" sniffled Fumika.

Without warning, Fumika clumsily tripped, to occupied by the growing worries to notice what and where she was running. Still holding hands, Fuuka was dragged back, falling to one knee as Fumika's cries tremendously outmatched hers as she was desperate to escape.

"C-Come on! W-We need to keep running!" shouted Fuuka, unaware that she was just attracting more infected.

Fumika was dazed by the sudden trip, landing hard on the floor and giving her a slight prickle sensation buzzing around her knees as they madly stung. Numbingly slapping one hand on the hard concrete floor, Fumika hesitantly pushed, lifting her top half up enough to see Fuuka without any problems. It was all to much for her, she needed someone to hold without fear. Tilting her head further up, her eyes glared at Fuuka as she loudly screamed for her support, flowing tears down her cheek like a river as she anxiously panicked for Fumika's assistance in escaping.

Everything around her slowly toned down, becoming almost quite as an irritating screeching sound waved across Fumika's ear, as if she was deaf. It all went back to normal though, as soon as she witnessed the distressing beast creeping up behind Fuuka. Fumika's squeezed her grip tighter as she trembled, opening her mouth wide and letting out a loud weep of warning.

"Behind you!" whimpered Fumika.

Fuuka's facial expressions significantly changed from dejected to shocked as she quickly turned, immediately shivering at the sight of the torn up creature reaching out for her.

"Get away!" screamed Fuuka. "Leave me and my sister alone!" she cried.

As the undead leaned over Fuuka, she swiftly jerked herself forward, swiping her hand across it's stomach and only slightly knocking it back. To her astonishment, the undead shrugged the strike of, continuing what it started as it slowly approached her again, thirsty for blood.

Fuuka and Fumika screamed in agony, both crawling away from the unstoppable force until their backs slumped up against the house behind them. They were trapped, their was nowhere to run. Everywhere they looked was horrific faces of death that glared back at them, scaring the twins even more if it were possible. Fuuka regrettably turned her back to the horror before them, wrapping her arms around Fumika as they shared one another's tears, spilling onto each other with love. Fuuka buried her head into her sisters shoulder as Fumika lowered her head down, hiding it in Fuuka's arms as the twins shed the last few moments they had together.

It was obvious how close the undead was, its grisly groan was all the twins heard as their weeps were blocked out, barely mumbling through the fabric one another wore. They weren't ready to leave each others side, and they certainly didn't want to become one of those things…but it seems that their was nothing they could do. Unprepared, the twins remained in one another's arms, begging for a familiar face to help them. But they didn't receive a familiar face…what they received was something they never wanted or expected.

A loud gunshot was heard flying over them, barrowing it's way through the undeads skull and flinging it back with force, roughly hitting the floor hard. Startled at first, both girls looked at, afraid of what caused the echo of violence. On the second floor of the house, accurately pointing a gun through the open window, was a soldier, wearing a easily marked beret that determined what the mans rank and name. The man wore black glasses, shielding his eye from any light that could distract him as he continued to fire, keeping any infected away from the traumatized and slightly unharmed girls.

Seconds later, the door behind them opened, revealing a women professionally aiming her weapon at both twins, examining them for any bites or signs on infection.

"Bitten?" asked the women.

Fuuka and Fumika stared at the women, unsure how to reply as they unsteadily reached out to her.

"Are you infected!" growled the women, demanding an answer.

"N-N-No" cried Fuuka.

"Then get in. Hurry!" shouted the women.

She didn't have to ask twice. Without a second thought, the twins crawled in like dogs, too phased by the terror to even stand upright. As soon as they were in the house, the women slammed the door shut, proceeding to barricade it with recently moved furniture that must have been their long before being removed to save the innocent pink haired twins.

The women was strong, making moving a large swampy looking cough look easy as she scraped It across the floor, piling other objects like lamps and televisions on top to keep the door steady enough from breaking.

The twins just watched, silently lying on the floor as their tears turned into quite sniffles, effortlessly trying to remain on the women's good side by doing exactly what she said and to avoid bothering her. She turned to them, easily detecting how disturbed they were and that they needed comfort or reassurance, a friend perhaps. Lowering her weapon down to her hip, the women began to speak.

"Sorry about shouting. Drastic times call for drastic measures. You're safe now, I can promise you that. My names Lieutenant Walkers, but you can call me Lilason" smiled Lilason, trying her best to comfort the seemingly secure twins.

They didn't reply, still confused to what was happening and why it was happening to them. They were still holding each other, which in a way was bad, showing that they were still frail and making themselves vulnerable.

"Let me guess, twins?" sarcastically suggested Lilason, attempting to make them both feel welcomed.

Fuuka nodded at first, shortly followed by Fumika. It was slow progress, but at least they were slightly improving.

"So, what's you're names?" asked Lilason, repositioning her weapon down by her side as she held onto the tip of it, leaning on the fancy equipment.

Fumika looked back at Fuuka, looking for guidance on how she should respond, or if she should respond. It wasn't exactly risky, but telling a complete stranger you're name wasn't the best idea, but what more could they do? Besides, she did save their lives.

"M-My names F-Fuuka" whispered Fuuka.

"F-Fumika" sweetly answered Fumika.

"Those are some beautiful names you got their. The guy upstairs is Captain Meardy, or better known as Tankins. You wont see him much down here, he's scouting the area for any escape routes, so if you wanna talk to him, upstairs is where you want to go. Be careful though, he isn't exactly in the best of mood, the guy lost three of his squad. Him and me are all that remains of this damn task force, but from that performance, it's hard to believe, am I right?" explained Lilason, not expecting an answer to her rhetorical question.

"A-Are you the Self Defence Force?" stuttered Fuuka.

"Tsk, we were, before they left us out here to die. No radio contact with them, no matter how many times we request for help. Their ignoring us as if we were already dead…may as well just put a huge stamp over our files reporting KIA, lying is what their best at…" growled Lilason, blowing her brown hair to one side as it agitatingly hid her face.

It was awkward for the twins. They didn't understand half the things she was saying but they didn't want to becoming irritating while doing so. So they listened, hoping that she didn't notice.

"Let me ask you something. About a day ago, reports suggested that school students managed to hold out against this mayhem. Don't suppose you two are apart of those survivors?" questioned Lilason.

Sensing that Fumika already had enough, Fuuka took charge, responding to the intrigued soldier.

"Y-Yes…" whispered Fuuka.

Lilason raised her eyebrows, surprised that the Intel they received was actually spot on for once.

"Really? Are their more of you?" excitedly asked Lilason.

"Uh huh, theirs plenty of us at the hotel on uhh….I think it was Nova street or something" answered Fuuka, feeling Fumika's head tilt onto her shoulder as she slowly faded away with exhaustion.

"Hm hm, cute. The couch is right their, she can sleep on it until plans are made. Let me help" offered Lilason.

Dragging the gun across the dusty floor, Lilason leaned it against the wall, double checking to see if it was stable before strolling over to Fuuka, seemingly cheerful to learn of the new discovery that there are more survivors nearby. She crouched down with open arms, waiting for Fuuka to accept her offer to carry her sleeping sister

Fuuka hesitated at first, unwilling to hand over her sister to some stranger she only just met moments ago. The longer to resisted, the harder it became to decline Lilasons offer before finally she gave it, pushing her attractive daughter towards the reliable soldier.

Having no trouble carrying the weightless child, Lilason curved both arms under the sleeping beauty, keeping a secure grip on her as she lifted her self up, easily withstanding the troubles of carefully holding Fumika. Her footsteps gently creped across the floor, calmly manoeuvring her way towards the green ragged couch. Slowly, she leaned over the couch, rolling Fumika onto it and feeling her exhale of warm breath cover her face while doing so. She really did look cute while sleeping, and that's was one of the many things Fuuka loved about her. Leering down, she watched Fumika charmingly sleep, amazed at how brave she could be during such times. She then turned back to Fuuka, who was slowly rubbing one arm with concern.

"I'm going to give my recent discovery to Tankins upstairs, you can come alone if you want, he wont be as scary while im their. Or you can sleep, it's you're option. Although I find it hard to sleep during an outbreak like this, you're sister really is amazing" smiled Lilason.

Brushing past Fuuka, she made her way up the stairs. It didn't take long before Fuuka followed, convinced that Fumika was safe and needed some peace. Although, that peace wouldn't last long…for someone…no, something….was approaching.

* * *

****

Monday 3:09AM - Outside The Abandoned Hotel

Mana, still holding the unconscious Kotaro, reached the side of the hotel. Their were many windows to choice from, but of course, they were all going to be locked, meaning that she either needed to knock or break the glass. Not exactly bothered which window so choice, Mana stumbled over to the closest one, eager do get Kotaro into a safe and comforting room where he could rest. Kneeling down, she used her available arm to reach out, using her knuckles to tap on the reflecting glass that showed Mana how fatigued she was, something she didn't want to be concerned about at the moment. Her knuckles tapped against the window, creating a clanking sound that could easily get anyone's attention. Although it was very likely that almost everybody was asleep.

Patiently waiting, the night breeze was easily noticeable as it brushed against Mana's skin, chillingly making her shudder with iciness. Whoever was on the opposite side of the window was sure taking their time. Then again, if Mana heard a tap at her window during night, she would be hesitant to respond too.

At last, a flicker of life. Mana could easily see a pair of eyes peering through the window, examining the outside only to have a slight shock as Mana patiently stood their with Kotaro over her shoulder, arrogantly waiting to be let in. She could hear the window unlocking, slowly creaking open as the friendly face confusingly looked at them.

"What are you two doing out here!" frantically asked Madoka, rubbing her eye as she made it obvious that she had only just woken up. Behind her was the rest of the cheerleaders, Misa and Sakurako, quietly slouched across their own beds as the three best friends shared a room together. They all wore different coloured nightwear that had a pattern of either animals, poker dots or checkers splattered across there smooth clothing.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, but this is urgent. Kotaro needs a place to rest, and I mean now" notified Mana.

Madoka turned to Misa who turned to Sakurako, looking back at Madoka. The three of them smiled, willing to help out Kotaro who they found rather adorable.

"We'll be happy to help. He can sleep on the spare bed, and you can trust us with him" smirked Sakurako.

"_That's what im afraid of…" _thought Mana, ducking through the window and hopping onto the floor.

"Thank you. The boy is exhausted and needs his sleep. I'm not asking you to…I would just rather prefer it if he wasn't exposed like this…" informed Mana, laying Kotaro onto the bed.

"Eh? You mean change him?" gulped Misa.

"We can do that!" immediately cut in Sakurako, completely forgetting that they need to find the right clothes first.

"What happened to him?" asked Madoka.

"I don't want to alarm you, but thing's aren't exactly peaceful outside. I need to check on the entrance before going back out their to look for….just…take care of him until he regains conscious" stuttered Mana, almost slipping up and revealing the danger Fuuka and Fumika as in".

"You can count on us!" replied Sakurako.

Satisfied, Mana walked away, opening and exiting the door, leaving the Inugami to his fate with three….particularly trust worthy cheerleaders.

* * *

**Heres chapter 4 for you're enjoyment!**

**Also, I have recently posted a new short story similar to my 'A Whisper In The Winds' story. It is called 'That Red Headed Girl' and it is describing Natsumi's life. I would be very grateful if you guys would read it and any reviews would be appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	5. A Vile Transaction

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday 3:19AM - Ivary Street - House Number 50**

The room was empty, or so they thought. Fumika silently laid across the sofa, sitting in darkness as the atmosphere intensely burned with depression, dramatically increasing with each second that past, as if something was…approaching…the sleeping beauty. The silence didn't last long as Fumika shrieked herself awake, slightly jumping up with suspense as she slowly became sceptical of her surroundings. She received very little sleep, she couldn't have woken up by herself, meaning….something disturbed her slumber.

"_W-Where am I? Wait….that women saved us…she saved me and Fuuka" _thought Fumika.

It then hit her, where was Fuuka? More worryingly, what awoke her? Surely it was just one of the people present around the house…or was it?

Fumika could barely contain herself as the constant quivering vibrated through her hole body, making her hands barely sustainable to even grab onto something without easily losing her grip. It wasn't just her hands, she could feel her feet uncontrollably wobble, struggling to keep control. It was not only terrifying, but stimulating. Was she unsteadily shuddering because she was cold, or scared? The room certainly was freezing, most probably because of the window upstairs constantly being open, if she remembered correctly. But she couldn't just ignore what happened outside either, an event like that wouldn't just disappear like that, it was going to be a concealed memory that would haunt her, making it hard to forget, hard to deal with. Whatever was causing it, Fumika didn't like it as the slightest sensation of being watched surrounded her, as if a ghost was making it's territory.

"F-F-Fuuka" stuttered Fumika, chitterling her teeth together with chilliness as the cold gusts of winds got to her. With just her casual clothing, walking properly was going to be a problem, she needed more warmth.

Uncontrollably but slowly lifting herself higher, Fumika dragged her legs across the lumpy couch, struggling to keep control of them as they numbingly patted against the wooden floorboards. It wasn't a lie, Fumika literally couldn't feel her legs to what a normal healthy human should be able to, giving her only certain senses that she could feel as the blood running through her veins ran cold, attempting to keep her warm by transporting themselves to vital organs that require the necessary support given.

"F-F-Fu-Fuuka" shivered Fumika, rapidly rubbing her hands against her arms to keep herself warm. Her voice was light and soft, as expected of a teenager experiencing the harsh experiences of coldness overwhelming her. Their was no blankets, no extra clothing, Fumika was on her own on this one. Which raised the question again, where was Fuuka?

Rocking her body back and forth, she eventually pushed herself against the couch and up to her feet, immediately staggering across the room as she attempted to regain her balance, trying her best to remain upright as her feet warmed up with pleasure, giving her more feeling to them.

Their was silence again, never a good sign when you're sister is missing. Looking around, she spotted the stares and quietly sighed with despair, annoyed at the challenge the stairs were going to be for her in her current state. She needed warmth, perhaps something in the next room? Their was only one way to find out.

Shuffling across the floor, Fumika extensively yawned, widely opening her mouth as she left it, unwilling to cover it up, especially if no one was even around…or so she thought. She entered the next room and to her surprise, it was darker than usual, darker to her liking. It was a mystery, but Fumika felt a strange feeling of discomfort surrounding her, absorbing her. Only when she suddenly found a cosy looking jacket hanging on a coat rack did the disturbance become forgotten. She was cold, and was desperate for warmth, leading her do to anything for the jacket.

Frantically rubbing her arms, Fumika approached the jacket, walking inches away from the pitch black wall…a huge mistake. Just as she reached out for the jacket, a hand shot out from the darkness, quickly covering Fumika's mouth as it dragged her away, almost blending her into the darkness with it. The frightened girl quickly screamed, only to have it quietly hum out to a simply rhythm that relaxed the creature. Using it's other arm, the monstrous being wrapped it's hand around her waist, keeping a tight grip as it examined Fumika.

"Shhh…quite young one" hushed the creature.

Completely ignoring it's demands, Fumika started to struggled, attempting to weakly scream louder, only to miserably fail. Then, to her shock, the creature holding her hostage forcefully tilted her head up, slowly exposing itself to her as it's face escaped the darkness.

She didn't know it, but that creature was the exact same soldier that attacked Mana, that incapacitated Kotaro, the same soldier that was attacked by the virus. No….this soldier, Jenkins, was….the virus.

"You…are young, sweet, innocent…and unsuspecting ….just….what I am looking for" whispered the influenced infected, controlled by the virus.

Fumika continued to struggled, using one free hand to elbow the creature in the stomach, only to have no effect. It simply smirked, aroused by Fumika's passion to escape, happy to know, the she was perfect.

"You have some fight in you young one…just the way I like them. Unfortunately, I am not looking for a fight, oh no….I am looking for much more" evilly smirked the creature.

No matter how hard she tried, Fumika was trapped, causing her to once again cry tears of fear as the creature continued to examine her. It sighed with pleasure, satisfied that what it has been searching for, has been found.

"Why do you cry? Are you afraid of my presence? I am simply a human, just like you…but no matter. This will only hurt for a second…and then a minute….and then an hour, and another, and another" sinisterly laughed the creature, remaining quite while doing so.

Fumika had no idea what it was talking about, what it was or how it got in, but every second became worse as the screams turned into weeps.

"You should be honoured….you shall be the first. You and I, connected together. We will….become one" grinned the creature as it's last two words echoed throughout the room, licking it's pale lips as it prepared for the transaction.

Unable to do anything, Fumika was forced into submission as the creature lowered it's head, quickly removing it's hand from her mouth, giving her the slightest chance to squeal for help, but not long enough…

The creature being controlled by the virus connected it's lips with Fumika's, using both it's hands to slither up her body and clench the side of her head as it kissed her upside down face. Fumika's head couldn't move, she was forced to witness the kiss, feeling woozy from even thinking about it. No matter how hard she moved her body, their was no escaping it's grasp.

This…was no kiss though, in fact, this didn't even classify as a kiss to the virus, it was just a simple way to safely continue the procedure as planned as quick as possible. Jenkins body started to madly twitch as it's throat started to choke, gagging on something as it slithered up it's throat. The noise was horrific as the gagging turned into a strangle, slowly suffocating Jenkins already dead body while whatever coughed itself up landed into Jenkins mouth, quickly entering Fumika's mouth and stifling itself down her throat, completing the procedure as Fumika could feel herself slip away, slowly losing control. She would sickly gag on the liquid commencing itself into her. She madly coughed, splurging out apart of the black substance that splattered across the side of her mouth, only to have it slide back in until…it happened. Jenkins body became lifeless, releasing it's grip and slumping to the floor, shortly followed by Fumika who was now twitching uncontrollably.

Within moments, Fumika then froze, quickly gasping for air as she breathed in and out hard, traumatized by what just happened. What did the virus do? She didn't need to be told…because Fumika, was not who she was. She was no longer the innocent victim, but in fact, she was…the virus. That's right, the virus transferred itself into the innocent girl, it has retained her memories, her personality, and her body. Fumika was now in a coma as the virus controlled her, as it became her.

Slowing her breathing down, Fumika looked shocked, slowly raising one arm as the virus examined the human body. It had never experienced a living host, this…was completely new to it. The feeling was weird, uncertain, but necessary. It could not control all of it's power in such a form, but it did not intend on using it's power either…

Slowly studying it's new body, the virus unsteadily pulled it's hand close to it's face, interacting them together and feeling the sensation on human skin touching human skin, stroking it's fingers along Fumika's sensitive cheek. It then laughed with amazement, satisfied with how smoothly things went along.

"_Interesting…very interesting. I gain this girls feelings, voice, personality, everything, while she sleeps within herself, never to wake up until I leave. Step one, find a reasonable host, complete. Step two, get within their walls…commencing" _grinned Fumika, or now sorely known as….the virus.

Quickly looking around, the virus planted in Fumika's body needed to remove Jenkins body from the room to erase any suspicions. It quickly jumped to it's feet, almost ready to activate it's plan. Fumika ran over to the body, desperate to get rid of it. It lifted Jenkins arm, struggling to pull it across the tiled floor.

"_This body is not appropriate for strength. Not like my last host. He was strong, allowing me to enhance his muscles to becoming stronger, to hold more weight, to withstand more pain. I would have had the boy known as Kotaro's body if it hadn't been for the sudden change in form. No matter, speed will provide useful within this child's abilities until I gather another host to my likings. Another host that they can trust, giving me easy access to more worthwhile humans I can use to eliminate these fools. They humiliated me, and I will gain my revenge" _thought the virus.

Still using Fumika's body, the virus enhanced her abilities, increasing her speed from it's knowledge from Kaede and Kotaro and quickly dragging the lifeless body out the back door before seeking shelter again inside.

"_I will leave this pathetic house with or without those….ugh…mortals. My undead will follow my command as I walk through them, and according to this girls knowledge…they are in the hotel….yes, I see, very clever…but they expect nothing, giving me the element of surprise." _forcefully grinned Fumika by the virus.

At that moment, Fuuka suddenly rushed down the stairs, excited and worried to so her 'sister' looking much better. She guessed a few minutes sleep did do some good after all…

"Fumika!" shouted Fuuka, jumping at her and wrapping her arms around her neck, happily hugging.

"_Filthy human, you're kind will be extinct once I am finished. Oh it is so tempting to crush you right now…but alas, I must wait, to fulfil my wishes" _thought the virus.

"Hello…sister" sinisterly grinned Fumika.

* * *

**Monday 3:19AM - The Abandoned Hotel**

Mana continued running down the long halls, passing different rooms that contained members of class 3-A and avoiding any obstacles with ease. Now that Kotaro was in good hands, she needed to check the entrance, to make sure that the recent barricade was holding and to explain the situations happening to the protector on duty. The stairs were in her sight, but she didn't plan on exactly using them properly. Reaching the railings, Mana jumped, leaping over the support bar and falling a short distance before landing up right on the floor, kneeling down as she embraced the impact with subtleness. It wasn't childish, it was necessary and she knew it. The faster she was, the faster they would find Fuuka and Fumika hopefully safe and away from harm.

Practically gliding across the floor, Mana grew with speed each passing second, determined to save the harmless twins. She amazed herself as she reached the counter, near the barricaded entrance within minutes, just another reason to never give it.

Drastically looking around, she noticed someone leaning against the white wall, covered with black poker dots. With his arms crossed and looking his calm usual self, Takamichi remained silent even after witnessing Mana's presence. He was wearing a bright white suit, still stained with blood, although changing clothes wasn't his biggest concern.

Slightly looking up, he watched Mana's temporary reactions, and immediately could tell that something was wrong.

"I don't suppose you're looking troubled because were on low supplies?" asked Takamichi, already expecting his answer to be wrong.

"The supplies are fine…we have much worse things to deal with" answered Mana.

"I was afraid you were going to say that" mourned Takamichi, pushing himself off the wall.

The two approached each other, wanting their conversation to go unnoticeable to anyone nearby.

"How is the barricade holding up?" asked Mana.

"It's steady, but it has been experiencing rapid thumping. Unless that's the wind, which I highly doubt, then something is out their. Mana….their back, aren't they?" questioned Takamichi.

Mana disappointedly nodded, wishing that it was another answer she could reply with. Shortly after, Takamichi sighed with frustration, overcoming the disbelief hitting him hard".

"I see…then…The First?" whispered Takamichi.

"It's uncertain. All I know if that whatever is out their has knocked Kotaro unconscious. And what's worse is…Fuuka and Fumika are out their, missing" informed Mana, distraught by even thinking about it.

"That is unfortunate news. I guess that's what were doing first then, find the twins and get them to safety. Chachamaru in unavailable right now, meaning that Negi and Setsuna will have to fly out their, and I know it will seem improbable, but to save Fuuka and Fumika, they will have to learn of the magic Negi and Setsuna possess. Don't worry though, I can erase their memories once they return…unless, you have a different solution?" explained Takamichi.

Mana gulped, she hated making difficult decisions.

"No….No, they deserve to know. Each passing day the students are witnessing more and more unnatural events. This outbreak, the rumours of Negi flying, they even experienced a full frontal view of Evangelines magic blast against The First. We can't keep lying to them, sooner or later, they will want to know the truth, or find out themselves. Leave the twins be, im sure after being in such a situation that they are in now, learning of magic will simply be a dull lesson to them" revealed Mana.

"If you say so. I shall inform Setsuna" notified Takamichi.

"Right, I'll ride with Negi on his staff. Kaede can keep watch on the balcony until we get back" informed Mana.

"Ok. Just…be careful out their. With Kotaro out of action, we can't afford to lose any more protecters, otherwise we will have no chance of protecting ourselves and the students at the same time" suggested Takamichi.

Mana quickly nodded, agreeing with him before running back up the stairs, leaving Takamichi to ponder the recent events, before setting off himself, in search of Setsuna.

* * *

**Heres chapter 5 for you're enjoyment!**

**The virus has changed it's tactics? What dastardly plans does it have in store for clas 3-A while in possession of the innocent Fumika?**

**Just to let all the Fumika fans know, she is perfectly safe! The virus has simply taken control of her mind while she goes into a deep sleep. As soon as the virus exits her body, Fumika will be her old self, it may just take a few minutes or hours for her to wake up!**

**Also, I will now be working on my next chapter for 'An Eclipse Of Love And Sacrifice' story, meaning that this wont be updated for quite a few days!**

**Lastly, I would be very grateful if you guys would read my newest short story about Natsumi called 'That Red Headed Girl'. Any reviews would mean a lot to me because I used my feelings to write it.**

**Any reviews are appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	6. Pathway Of Demise

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday 3:26AM - Ivary Street - House Number 50**

"We must go sister, rejoice with our fellow…friends" strained Fumika, almost gagging on the word 'friends'.

Sister? Rejoice? Since when did Fumika start using these words? It slightly confused Fuuka as she tilted her head with confusion. Lilason on the other hand did nothing, mainly because this was the first she had seen the newly discovered girl calmly talk without being in a state or shock. It was her first impressions, and she was sticking to them until further notice.

"Fumika? Are you ok?" asked Fuuka.

"Pleasant. Now, are we going to leave?" questioned Fumika.

"A-Are you crazy? Theirs no way we can get back to the hotel!" panicked Fuuka.

"You're sisters got a point their kid. We watched you both outside, barely any resistance from either of you. How do you suggest getting through those hordes of crazy flesh eating monsters? If I recall, you were pretty much defenceless until we came along" interrupted Lilason.

"Yeah! I know you want to get back, and I do to…but…we should wait! For them to rescue us!" suggested Fuuka.

"No, I want to go now" demanded Fumika.

"B-B-But those things, we'll never make it!" shouted Fuuka.

"_They are not things…they are my precious infected. And let me worry about them you little human rat" _thought the virus.

Suddenly, Tankins deep voice echoed down the stairs, requesting Lilason. Strangely enough though, his voice was far weaker, as if something caught his attention and he needed confirmation that he wasn't going crazy.

"Lilason, you're going to want to see this…" notified Tankins, staring out the window with disbelief.

"This can't be good, he never needs me unless it's something bad…." noted Lilason.

Turning her back to them, she trotted up the stairs, leaving Fuuka with the oddly acting Fumika. They both stared at each other, Fuuka with concern and Fumika with…well…Fuuka didn't know, but it was scaring her.

"Why are you acting weird sis? Did something happen?" asked Fuuka, worried for her sisters safety.

"_She's coming onto me…dull down the personality, become the child"._

"Uh…yeah. I must have not got enough sleep…" answered Fumika.

Fuuka remained silence for a moment, levelling the possibilities of her answer actually being possible. Then again, she didn't really know much about personality change at all, why question her own sisters trust?

"Ohh, so you're cranky?" smirked Fuuka, trying to get Fumika back to her old self.

"_Insolent child, why must she participate in these stupid games? Must I really interact with an unintelligent form of species such as this?"._

"N-No…I'm just…bored?" hesitated the virus_, _hoping that her answer was similar to what Fumika would usually say.

"Me too! Want to go upstairs and see what all the commotion is about?" sweetly asked Fuuka.

"_But I already know…fool"._

"Sure, I guess" nervously smiled Fumika. The virus was defiantly putting on a good attempt, and it was horrible. Never before has it been so….nice…to a human before, let alone interactive.

"Great!" shouted Fuuka, grabbing hold of Fumika's cold hand and pulling her along.

Losing it's temper, the virus unwillingly went along, miserably forcing itself to attend the humans way of life to gain their trust so that it's plans could continue. Both twins reached the top in a matter of seconds, interested on what was happening. The first sight they caught was Tankins and Lilason sticking their heads out of the open window, confused to how or why the strange occurrence was happening.

"I'm just as confused as you are Tankins. It's amazing, but creepy at the same time" notified Lilason.

"Theirs just no reason to it. Seconds ago they were scattered around, slamming into each other…but now…" replied Tankins.

Intrigued, Fuuka leaped over to the closed window besides Lilason, dragging along Fumika with her. She peered through the foggy glass while Fumika remained behind her, growing impatient. The scene stunned Fuuka as she frantically blinked with fascination. Slowly, one by one, the undead stepped aside, barging into one another and forcing rows of the horde back, creating a path big enough for two people to walk down side by side. The long, blood filled pathway curved around the corner from where Fuuka and Fumika had come from.

"_Yes, very impressive…aren't they? Just another reason to have them roam this word" _thought the virus, very proud of itself.

"Let me try something…" cut in Tankins, raising his gun high and leaning it against the window seal.

Lowering his head down, Tankins shut one eye as the other beamed through the sight, targeting an undead's head. Without hesitation, he squeezed the trigger hard, thrusting out a bullet of his weapon as it created sparks while doing so. The bullet intensely flew through the air, connecting with the undead's head and instantly cracking through the skull, destroying the brain and leaving the undead lifeless as it thumped to the floor, twitching momentarily.

"_Don't kill my infected…" _thought the virus, starting to hold a grudge against Tankins who killed it's own kind right in front of it.

Slightly sliding his gun across the wooden window seal, he aimed at another undead. The virus watched as another bullet was realises from his gun, impaling the undead in the head once again and jolting it back onto the floor.

"_DON'T KILL MY INFECTED" _hazardly thought the virus, barely containing itself to do something about the sickening sight.

"Nothing. Third times the charm I guess" mortified Tankins.

Redirecting his weapon, Tankins prepared to fire again. The virus wasn't about to let that happen again, even if that meant using force. Just as he placed his finger on the trigger, Fumika's voice quickly screeched him to a halt.

"CAN WE….please, get back to the hotel?" demanded Fumika, enraged by Tankins.

Pulling his head away, Tankins turned to the seemingly innocent Fumika, annoyed that she disturbed him. This was the first time he had actually seen Fumika, although it wasn't anything new since he had already seen her twin Fuuka. They were almost similar, a slight difference in the hair…and personality.

"So…you must be Fumika. It's a pleasure to meet you but…what's this about getting back to the hotel?" questioned Tankins.

"I think it is pretty obvious. I want to use that pathway to get back to my friends" sarcastically said Fumika.

"Heh, well the only way that is going to happen is if you go out their first, then we'll follow. I'm not risking my team for some snooty kid that doesn't even thank me for saving you're life" arrogantly replied Tankins.

Lilason was quick to respond, immediately rejecting the idea.

"Are you out of you're freaking mind! Their's no way the-".

"Fine" interrupted Fumika, smirking while doing so.

The three of them blankly stared at her, especially Fuuka who was shocked that her more fearful sister would even attend such a crazy task.

"B-But F-Fumika!" cried Fuuka, generating tears into her eyes again for Fumika's safety.

"Remove the barricade and I shall lead" ordered Fumika.

Hysterically laughing, Tankins looked at Lilason who was surprised of the sweet looking twins courage, quickly looking back down to him as her expression said it all. "Don't do it" was what told Tankins. He looked back over to Fumika who was leaning on the banister of the stairs, ready to go.

"Look kid, Fumika. I know you want to get back to you're school friends who you suppose are at this hotel, but joking or playing around isn't going to help. I suggest you go back downstairs and get some rest, hopefully we'll have a plan by the time you wake up" suggested Tankins.

"Who said I was joking?" snarled Fumika.

"F-Fumika!" shouted Fuuka.

"Tsk, alright, fine. You lead us out of here through that mysterious self made pathway, then you can go back to the hotel with our protection" confirmed Tankins, convinced that at the sight of the dreadful pathway up close would scare the pink haired girl back into the house.

"Excellent" responded Fumika.

Shrugging Fuuka's grip on her hand off, she turned away, mildly walking down the stairs and entering the dark room, quickly followed by Tankins who was astonished by Fumika's reactions.

That left Lilason and Fuuka alone upstairs. Fuuka kept her eyes on the stairs as Lilason looked down at the anxiously nervous twin. Their was something bothering Fuuka, her sister would never be this daring, no matter how desperate she was to get back. That worry was suddenly disturbed by Lilason who was expressing her truthful ways.

"No offence, but you're sisters kinda a bitch. She has courage, but it's no good if she never keeps that courage contained" informed Lilason.

The hurtful comment angered Fuuka, she fiercely turned, exposing her visible tears that started bursting from her eyes.

"D-Don't say that! You h-h-have to protect my s-sister!" sobbed Fuuka, heavily aching her voice to show how upset she was.

Troubled, Fuuka turned back, releasing loud weeps that called out to her sister as she trembled down the stairs, almost falling down them as she struggled to remain stable.

"Fuuka, wait!" shouted Lilason, chasing after her.

Both trifled down the stairs, only to witness Tankins removing the last heavy object with Fumika standing besides the door.. Fuuka quickly ran, screeching to a halt a few inches away from Fumika as her noticeable tears gleamed brightly on her cheek, disgusting the virus to what humans can produce. Using both of her hands, she tightly connected one of Fumika's strangely cold hand with hers as they crossed into one another, allowing Fumika's skin to absorb the warmth of love and care from her sisters. Fuuka proceeded to pull their connected hands up, firmly sliding it up onto the surface of her chest, desperate to never let go.

"P-Please, don't go" quietly sobbed Fuuka.

The virus could feel the heartbeats of Fuuka intensify, quickly syncing in with Fumika's heartbeats as they fearfully cared for each other, traumatizing the virus to how powerful these overwhelming feelings that were flowing through Fumika's body could disturb the virus.

"Theirs no stopping me sister" replied Fumika.

"T-Then I'm going with you!" exclaimed Fuuka, convinced that if she put herself in danger, Fumika would reconsider.

"Then so be it" answered Fumika, scaring Fuuka while doing so as she escaped her grip and lowered her arms down by her side again.

Finished removing the objects, Tankins tiredly turned to Lilason who was glaring at him with ignorance, furious that he was even considering this.

"Lilason, aim you're weapon at the door, I don't want one of those things jumping out at them as soon as it opens" ordered Tankins.

"Yes sir…" snarled Lilason, unable to refuse the order.

Although Lilason wasn't in the Self Defence Force any longer, that didn't mean Tankins wasn't either. Truth was, he didn't even realise that Lilason had decided to leave, if he did, he would refer to her as a 'deserter' and would think of her different, and that was the least of her worries right now.

"Get ready kid" notified Tankins, grabbing the door handle.

Lilason lifted her gun high, not exactly thrilled that she was doing this. Aiming, she placed her finger on the trigger, prepared to fire as soon as an undead walked through those doors. That's what she was expecting, but from what's been going on around her, she wouldn't be surprised if something completely different happened.

Nodding at Fumika, Tankins jerked the handle down, quickly swinging the door open and flinching, convinced that one of those things would fly through the door. Instead, nothing. Fumika calmly stood in the doorway, staring out to the open world full on undead and a bloody pathway. Fuuka was slightly knelt down, hiding behind her stable sister who somehow grew so much courage within minutes.

Slowly but majestically, she took the first step, planting her foot on the grubby ground before her. The undead stayed in place, all glaring at their master in disguise. The virus rather enjoyed the long stares, being idled by it's infected was what it was best at. Confident, Fumika started walking, strolling ahead as Fuuka hesitantly joined her, nervously fidgeting around with her unsteady fingers as she looked around, watching the undead turn their direction from Fumika to her which cause her to whimper into submission. She was surrounded, she felt trapped, confined, and yet they stayed in one spot.

If it wasn't for the virus ordering them to stand down, they would be piling the two innocent girls, but to raise less suspicion, she allowed her sister and the two soldiers to follow without having to intervene with it's undead minions. It wanted to get their as quick as possible…so it's plan could begin.

Back at the house, Tankins was in disbelief. The undead should be going crazy out their! It slightly worried Tankins, maybe they should go? This may be their only opportunity to escape and both him and Lilason were wasting it by standing their, too scared to even move.

"S-Sir…orders?" stuttered Lilason.

Lifting his gun, Tankins turned to Lilason.

"Let's go" noted Tankins.

Finally, an order she could accept without problems! Both soldiers quickly stormed out the house, side stepping across the pathway as they aimed their guns opposite directions at the undead, who were simply watching them. Containing themselves to attack and receive their meal that they so desperately hunger for, starve for. Slowly making their way closer to Fuuka and Fumika, the long stares annoyed Lilason, as if they were a bunch of perverted people that couldn't resist but to look, wanting Lilason. Although…they did want her, but for completely different, outrageous reasons, and she knew that.

Curving around the corner, they were now back on Nova street, and the hotel was in Fumika's sight….it was on the virus's sight. She increased her speed, strolling ahead and leaving Fuuka to panic as she struggled to keep up, followed by the two soldiers. Safety was just moments away…but for just how long?

* * *

**Monday 3:26AM - The Rooftop**

Evangeline sloped herself across the roof, looking down at the hordes of monsters moaning and groaning for their desires. She was reminiscing at what she may have did wrong they caused the infection to keep growing, to have the virus survive. Was their something The First didn't tell them? It may have been very revealing, but even a sinister creature like that has one secret to keep to itself.

What didn't it tell them? What was so important that it would foolishly destroy itself to keep the virus contained? Their were many reasonable solutions, one more preposterous than the others each time. She had to solve the question that badly needed an answer, otherwise the only obvious solution was that…the infection could not be stopped, even without a leader. Sure, the protectors of class 3-A could fend them of, eventfully after a certain amount of time the town would be relatively clear…but what of the world? Has the virus spread that far? It was improbable, but possible.

The mistress of the night wasn't known for caring that much, in fact, she was slightly tense with excitement that everything was back, even after the horrors that happened before. But because of making a mistake, she was enraged, determined to correct any faulty problem that she may have caused or even created! It wasn't going to be good for her reputation of people started learning of her mistakes…then again, she was sure undead wouldn't practically care, rather about her than their own hunger. And if their were any survivors, why would they bother to listen to her plead for attention? They would be too busy surviving to notice the wrath of her wickedness. A plain dull vampire, the thought made her shiver, now she really wanted to correct her mistake.

Thinking of any possible reason to the unfortunate event, Evangeline was interrupted by Akiras, who was tugging on her red chequered skirt of the Mahora Academy brand, something she despised. Turning , she looked down at the hazel eyed child, who was amiably looking up at Evangeline, tunefully humming a light rhythm that could slowly put someone to sleep. It wasn't clear at first why, but quickly noticing the night sky, Evangeline then realised that for a girl her age, she really should be asleep.

"Mu-…Evangeline…I'm tired" quietly notified Akiras, sounding drowsy.

"Go to sleep then" simply answered Evangeline.

"I…I can't….it's cold and the floor is to hard" informed Akiras.

"I don't really see how I can fix that…" replied Evangeline.

"C-Can we go back to that building with all the nice girls? O-Or…" asked Akiras, suddenly stopping halfway through her sentence.

"Or?" growled Evangeline, becoming impatient.

"I could lie on something soft against the wall…" whispered Akiras, trying to not sound like a request.

"_And by something, you mean me? I don't have time for something so…Guh, sweet, not when I have my own problems"._

"Well, that's nice and all, but I have no desire to do that…at least, not now. I can offer Chachamaru's assistance if needed, but as for me, you'll receive nothing" informed Evangeline.

"O-Ok…" replied Akiras, simply wanting some warmth and to sleep.

Looking up at Chachamaru who was blankly staring up at the sky, she called out to her partner, looking for her demands to be fulfilled.

"Chachamaru, tend to her needs" ordered Evangeline.

Immediately looking down, she looked back and forth between Evangeline and Akiras, wondering what she meant by 'her needs'. Of course, being Evangelines servant, she didn't hesitate to agree. It was very rare for Chachamaru to deny her masters order, and when she did, it would come to a shock for Evangeline.

"Yes master…" accepted Chachamaru.

Before looking back at Akiras, the young blonde haired girl cheerfully raced up to Chachamaru, quickly cancelling her actions to approach her first. Now she just needed to find out what Akiras wanted.

"What is it that you require Miss Akiras?" politely asked Chachamaru.

"Uh…I want something soft to lie on that can keep me warm" revealed Akiras.

Straightening up, Chachamaru quickly looked around, scanning the area for any items that match Akiras description. Although, she wasn't fully aware that Akiras didn't mean her sentence like that. Stuttering at first, she quickly closed her lips, suddenly feeling the urge to keep herself warm because of a gust of wind slamming into her and going right though her as if she was a ghost. Placing her hands on opposite arms, they frantically brushed along her shivering skin, trying to keep herself warm. Why did she only wear a shirt? A question that blocked out all past thoughts concerning Chachamaru's actions.

"Shall I search for the necessary items?" asked Chachamaru.

"I…Uh…I kinda didn't mean it like that" informed Akiras, still shivering.

The answer confused Chachamaru as she stared down at the quivering girl. If she didn't want items keeping her warm, then just what did she mean by 'something'?. Tilting her head, she made it obvious that Akiras needed to be more specific.

"I was uh…hoping if you…would uh…do what my mum use to do. She would hold me and…keep me warm" admitted Akiras.

Chachamaru's expressions then change. She didn't looked surprised, but more fascinated. She had never actually been asked to do such a thing before…it was strange hearing the request now from such a sweet, cuddly child. The only thing was, she didn't exactly know what to do.

"Ah…I…I suppose" agreed Chachamaru, still unsure on what she was suppose to do exactly.

Akiras smiled widely grew, happy that Chachamaru didn't freak out over her request. The fact that she was a robot didn't bother Akiras, in fact, half the time she would completely forget mainly because Chachamaru looked so real and at times…her personality would match a normal humans it certain situations.

Looking down at the ground, she knelt down, going into a squatting position and tiptoeing to the wall closest where she leaned her back against it before stretching out her legs. Her feet pointed up as they cheerfully waved about, entertaining Akiras as she waited for the clueless Chachamaru to respond.

She simply stood their, remaining in one spot as she watched Akiras loudly yawn, widely opening her mouth and exhaling hard. Alerting herself that Chachamaru wasn't responding, she innocently looked up, giving Chachamaru a strange surge of feelings that then overwhelmed her similar to Evangelines experience. Only when Akiras patted the ground beside her did Chachamaru realise that she was suppose to sit with her, it was a start at least as the small guidance she received dimmed down the worry for her.

Turning her back to the wall, Chachamaru leaned down, sliding her back against the wall as her hands supported her smooth, gentle landing. Now slouched against the wall, all she could do was wait until Akiras gave her another instruction. That wasn't necessary as the sweet girl snuggled under her arm and into Chachamaru's warmth, making her slightly flinch with suspense. Her arm was now around Akiras neck while she wrapped her arms around Chachamaru's waist, lightly leaning her head on Chachamaru's side as the green haired girl opened her mouth with surprise.

She faintly blushed, unsure on how she should react to the heart warming sight. Then, Chachamaru felt strange, something was flowing inside of her that she had never experienced before. It wasn't a bad feeling, in fact, she found it quite pleasurable and…joyful. Akiras slowly swept away into slumber, comfortable in Chachamaru's arms as she held her closer, enjoying the surge of emotions running through her but…still unsure on how to react. Turning to Evangeline, she quickly spoke.

"Ah…M-Master…I feel strange" notified Chachamaru.

"Now you know how I feel…" replied Evangeline, looking back over the rooftop.

Only moments later did something catch her eye. The infected were…moving? Creating what appears to be…a pathway to the hotel? How is that possible? Why! The only known user that used that sort of technique was…The First. Was it possible that he survived? Or was the actual virus using his technique, if it was, then it was rather stupid for thinking that I could simply walk in. No…it knew better than that, it was creating a path for another reason. And that reason showed up exactly after she thought that.

"Is that Fumika?" questioned Evangeline, widening her eyes to get a better view point because of the darkness around them.

Slowly walking around the corner, quickly followed by Fuuka and….two soldiers? Was Fumika, looking unharmed while showing no sign of fear. Only one question popped into her mind.

"Why is the virus allowing them to return to safety!" exclaimed Evangeline, outraged by the evil substances actions.

* * *

**Monday 3:26AM - The Abandoned Hotel - The Balcony**

Negi quietly waited as he could hear the footsteps of two people approaching. As he turned, his eyes were met with Kaede and Mana quickly rushing towards the door that led to the room with the balcony. Mana managed to run in first, immediately screeching to a halt and stopping inches away from Negi. Completely concerned for Fuuka and Fumika, she could asked Negi the painful question.

"How are things looking up here?" regrettably asked Mana.

"Those things are rising again, but I can tell you already know that. Did you find Kotaro and Evangeline?" questioned Negi.

"I found Kotaro but…someone or something knocked him unconscious" answered Mana.

"What! Is he ok?" shouted Negi.

"I have checked on him De Gozaru, he's fine" cut in Kaede.

"The only thing that could have done that was…The First. Does that mean…?" asked Negi.

"It's uncertain, we didn't get a clear view of the person. But we have bigger problems on our hands" informed Mana.

"Serious problems De Gozaru. Fuuka and Fumika are out their without any kind of protection" notified Kaede.

"The twins! We have to find them! I can never forgive myself if they get harmed!" panicked Negi.

"Don't worry Negi, were going to do just that. Can you're staff carry both you and me?" questioned Mana.

"Uh…Yes! It should be able to" anxiously replied Negi.

"Good, we'll set out now and Setsuna will join us when she gets here. Kaede, inform her of our presence when she arrives" ordered Mana.

Kaede remained silent, distracted on something unexplainable over the balcony.

"Kaede?" said Mana and Negi together.

"This is troubling…De Gozaru…" whispered Kaede, still looking over the balcony.

Both Negi and Kaede worryingly looked at her before leaping to the edge, scouring the area below them to see what was concerning Kaede. Although, they didn't even have to look that hard as it became obvious. On the completely blood covered road, scattered with undead, was Fuuka and Fumika, slowly progressing their way through a self made pathway created by the undead. The sight was shocking, completely overwhelming Kaede with sadistically forced worry, causing her to gasp.

"Everyone, get to the entrance now!" shouted Mana.

She didn't have to ask twice. Kaede instantly pushed herself away from the balcony, racing out the door shortly followed by a desperate Negi and eager Mana. They reached the stairs within second, only to spot Setsuna who was hastily making her way up the stairs.

"Kaede! I was just-" Setsuna was quickly cut of by Kaede who brushed past her, releasing negative energy that hit Setsuna like a train.

"Sorry De Gozaru, change of plan!" shouted Kaede, rushing down the stairs.

Mana was next to swipe past the confused swordsman who was already feeling uneasy from the discovery that the undead were walking again and that Kotaro was out of action. Negi froze in front of her, willing to explain what is happening as Setsuna turned o him.

"Fuuka and Fumika are heading for the entrance, we have to remove the barricade!" explained Negi.

"Ah! How is that possible?" questioned Setsuna.

"I'm sorry about this, but I'll have to explain it later. Follow us to the first floor!" alerted Negi, rushing past Setsuna before quickly being joined by her.

Down and down they went, racing past the occupied rooms full of students until finally they reached the barricaded door that was currently still being watched by Takamichi. He turned to the dazed group, quickly noticing the anxious looks on their face.

"What's happened?" asked Takamichi.

"Fuuka and Fumika are approaching the door, help us remove the barricade! Negi, Setsuna, ready you're weapons just in case" coordinated Mana.

Each giving a certain assignment, they did just what that were told. Setsuna sly fully drew her sword as Negi aimed his staff while the rest hastily removed the heavy objects, desperate to get Fuuka and Fumika into a safe area. They did see another two approaching behind them, and they didn't look infected, but they'll have to worry about that later. Actually getting them in was their biggest priority.

Scraping the last heavy object across the floor, which was a large vending machine, the doors became completely exposed. One push, and they would open with ease. Turning back, she took one last glance at everyone before looking at the doors again. Grabbing onto the handle, she gulped, then, the doors quickly opened as Mana forced herself to pull hard. Expecting an attack, she quickly jumped back, raising her guard while doing so. Instead, she was met with Fumika, impatiently waiting as if she had been their this hole time. Fuuka was behind her, looking much more scared. Immediately, she ran in, slowly followed by Fumika who didn't care much for happy reunions.

Without hesitation, Fuuka ran into Kaede's arms while Fumika…remained silent, observing the hotel as if she had never been their before. Without warning, the two soldiers then strolled in, quickly rolling opposite sides of the walls and closing the double doors that were open, revealing the undead who were now growing restless, losing formation and closing up the pathway.

"Get these doors barricaded!" demanded Tankins.

Everyone did just that, apart from Kaede, who was just happy that both twins were safe, a little confused to Fumika's sudden reactions unlike Fuuka's, but happy. Speaking of Fumika…

"_I recognise them all…The determined Mana, the sly Kaede, that inceptive Takamichi, the winged Setsuna and…him…the boy…Negi Springfield. They will all pay…"._

"So….." ghastly exhaled Fumika "where do I begin?" she whispered, grinning while doing so.

* * *

**Here's chapter 6 for you're enjoyment!**

**Disguised as Fumika, the virus has reached within the hotels walls! With so many options, where does it start indeed! Only something as sinister could devise such a sneaky plan, but will it be compromised with the way it's acting****? or will the virus gain a new host, another innocent victim of Class 3-A, or their protectors! Either way, the horror continues.**

**Please review! I will be very grateful!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Looking For Another Host

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday 3:40AM - The Abandoned Hotel**

Without delay, Kaede knelt down with open arms, catching the quivering Fuuka and she trembled forward, finally able to cry tears of joy as she revealingly wept. She was shivering, not with coldness, but trepidation, terror, fear. It made Kaede's blood run cold, and that rarely happened. At the moment, she didn't care how or why they were able to make it back without physically being harmed, mentally she was certain, but physically, their was no sign of foul play.

Only the comfort of her friends in due time will heal the mental scar, but for now, one long lasting grasp in Kaede's bask of warmth was enough to calm the quaking twin, slowly quieting the whimpering until it was silent as she slowly fell into a deep sleep of exhaustion. She looked sweet, forcing Kaede to keep her gaze on the pure beauty as the leftover tears still fell skimming across her rosy red cheeks and slowly drying up. Kaede wiped them away by swiftly wiping her thumb across her delicate skin. She hated seeing the twins cry, it was never a pretty sight to endure, but she was forced to because she couldn't look away, not after almost losing her.

Nearby, Mana and Takamichi helped Tankins barricade the exposed double doors, screeching the heavy objects across the floor and slamming them into the wooden material, shaking them as they uneasily jiggled from the impact. Although, they wasn't particularly sure whether it really was the objects they were moving or the undead attempting to get through, either way, it had them in breathless stitches as they attempted to barricade the doors with speed. Lilason, Negi and Setsuna continued to keep guard, carefully focusing their aim on nothing but the doors as they prepared for the worst, and if it did come to that, their were items already prepared to barricade the stairs. It was just a matter of who gets their first, them or the infected.

Finished, Mana stumbled back, quickly looking at Fuuka in Kaede's arms before turning back to Tankins who was stunned with confusion to how everyone even got there in the first place. Not feeling threatened, he contained his imminent instincts to follow precautions that require a full search of the area. Long story short, this hotel was now Self Defence Force property, but he wasn't willing to say that out aloud with so many students with weapons facing him with caution, unknown to who he is.

"So…the reports are true. A group of students, surviving the monstrosity. Hard to believe isn't it?" spoke Tankins, trying to start conversations between them all.

"Who are you?" hissed Mana, fully aware of the uniform he was wearing.

"It's funny, I was about to ask you the same thing. Only difference is, you're going to answer" snarled Tankins.

"You're not in the position to be taking command now my good sir. I suggest you cooperate with us, and we'll comply with you're requests" calmly interrupted Takamichi.

"Like hell we are, their Self Defence Force. I don't work with scum that leave us for dead" growled Mana.

"Primary orders, I wasn't going to disobey my command, especially when he was giving the orders face to face" notified Tankins.

"You're just another lapdog" replied Mana.

"And a damn good one, now I suggest we do as you're friend says and cooperate, otherwise this will get VERY messy VERY quickly".

"Are you threatening my family?" warned Mana, slowly raising her rifle.

"I doubt these are you're family" smirked Tankins.

"Their family to me!" shouted Mana.

"Then you are obviously lost, there is no more family, no more friends, only companions. Will you cooperate with us?".

Mana went quite, slowly thinking of a reasonable answer. She turned to Lilason who was frantically deciding where to aim her gun, exhaling heavily while doing so. Then to Negi and Setsuna who both nodded at her, willing to follow her no matter what choice she made. Finally, her sight directed back to Fuuka, who desperately looked frightened even when asleep. It made her wonder…if it wasn't for Tankins and Lilason…then those two may have become infected. Maybe…maybe she should give them a chance….because right now, they could use all the help they get.

Turning back to him, she softly spoke.

"The twins…were you involved with their rescue?" questioned Mana.

"At first yes, but the pathway had nothing to do with us. If were going to be working together, then we have to trust one another, which is why I'm about to tell you this. The second I saw those two twins, my duty was to obscure any possible infection risk. Them being in the middle of the horde, I was going to leave them out their…but…the more and more I watched them…I-it just…their cries for help, their eyes widened with fear. I couldn't just leave them out their, and I was forced to disobey my order to destroy any risk of infected getting through to us" explained Tankins.

Everyone froze as Kaede and Lilason gasped, shocked with what they just learned. As for Mana…she just glared at Tankins with rage, for even suggesting that he would leave the twins to helplessly die.

"I don't enjoy this job lady, I just do it" informed Tankins.

"Fine…we'll work together. And since were being so trust worthy to each other, you deserve to know the truth about all this" noted Mana, attempting to notify Tankins at what he just got himself into.

"We already know. A riot caused by unsupervised drug addicts experimenting with what appears to be a substance. We are fully aware that it brings the dead back to life but the drug should wear out after a few days" said Tankins.

"You're completely wrong" notified Setsuna.

"I beg you're pardon?" snarled Tankins.

"It wasn't a drug. It was a virus, injected with steroids and many other liquids which was inserted into a human being. We made contact with it and it explained everything. The virus's host called itself The First, referring itself to the first infected. A group of scientists injected the virus into him where he was called, only to be brought back from the dead as a flesh eating monsters. Interested in learning more, they kept him constrained, making the virus stronger as they learned from it, unaware that the whole time, it was also learning from them. After weeks of containment, the virus escaped and started to spread, creating the undead and infecting them with weaker versions of the virus. Just yesterday we attempted to destroy the virus, at first we thought we succeeded…but as you can see, we were obviously wrong" explained Mana.

"That is a load of shit and you know it" growled Tankins.

"Believe what you want, we experienced it and survived, and now it's begun again. So you can either help us stop it, or walk out that door. You're friend can stay thought, she seems rather pleasant to be around" grinned Mana.

Becoming angered at the outrageous explanation, Tankins turned to Lilason who was aiming her gun at him.

"L-Lilason?" stuttered Tankins.

"Sorry sir, but from what I have seen, their story seems very likely. I mean really? Druggies biting humans, only for them to come back because of the drug? If it were that simple, command would have easily kept it contained using soldiers like us to hold it of. Those thing's aren't human…their not even alive sir, they are walking dead, zombies if I must add" apposed Lilason.

"I don't believe it…you're going to side with them!" growled Tankins.

"Yes. I didn't tell you this before…but I quit" smirked Lilason.

"And I suppose you want me to join?".

"I don't expect you to, but chances are you'll be better off in here than out their on your own in the hordes" noted Lilason.

"It's you're choice" interrupted Mana.

Tankins didn't like it, but their was no other choice, he needed to stay and deal with the preposterous proposals laying onto him. No matter how ridiculous it sounded, deep inside, he knew that their was a possibility of their explanation being true.

"Fine…I'll stay, but don't expect much from me" growled Tankins.

"Don't worry, we wont. Just help keep this place secure from the infected outside. And be sure to visit Fuuka and Fumika, I'm sure their grateful for you're support…" whispered Mana.

Only realising it now, Kaede quickly looked around, scouting for Fumika who suddenly disappeared, worrying her.

"W-Where is Fumika?" stuttered Kaede.

They all looked around, suddenly noticing the missing twin. Just where did Fumika go? Little did they know, Fumika was still in a deep sleep while the virus…

* * *

It was dark, just how the virus liked it. Using Fumika's body, it crawled, that's right, crawled up the steep stairs that led higher up, closer to gaining a new body. Fumika wasn't enough, oh no…from her memories, the virus had found out that she was still treated like a child, meaning that getting close to any of the protectors were going to be troubling if they always insisted on her retreat to somewhere safe. It needed someone…close…to the protectors. Someone it could ambush, to acquire the host's body without struggle. Being inside Fumika, strength was not going to prevail…but maybe her speed and sneakiness could be of some use. Their was only one way to find out as it reached the very top of the hotel, supplied with multiple rooms that contain random students exposed to it's intoxicating transaction, each with a vital detailed memory from Fumika that can tell it who is close to who, making everything much…MUCH easier.

"_This girls memory is…delicate. One fatal flaw by me and the memory will be lost, I must use it wisely. She has no official circumstances to whom I should infuriate with my being, I will simply go by the knowledge I have received from my past battle. They were all formidable opponents, but that Negi Springfield….the chaos I could cause with his powers, I would lust with raw abilities as the magic burns of me. He….will not be easy to obtain, especially when he is always around those other rotting pieces of flesh. He has many relationships with the class….but is always concerned with their safety. If I must, I will take another protector to get to him…and then, I will strike" _planned the virus.

Slowly looking from one door to the next, Fumika's head soothingly turned itself, deciding which door it should open, hoping that the choice it makes is the right one. Suddenly freezing, her eyes twinkled at room number forty three, which was halfway down the hall, close to the nearby fire exit which was at the end. Grinning, she silently walked closer, convinced that the tempting lust for a new body was just seconds away from the virus's grasp.

Creeping closer, it stopped, inches away from the door. It was covetousness, simply to desirable to reconsider, no matter what the risk. It was addicted to strength, to domination, to new changes…including bodies. What would be the sickest thing of all is that the virus gains pleasure from swapping bodies, slithering it's way in and out of people made it quite…aroused…by the thought of new knowledge and abilities.

Churning itself, Fumika's hand fiercely grasped the handle, madly shaking it with delight, having no second thoughts on what it was doing. Barely able to contain it's excitement, the virus quickly but quietly jerked the handle down, unlocking the door. It pushed, slowly squeaking the door open.

From the room's point of view, as the door opened, the moonlight would shine of the darkened Fumika as her eyes sparked up with blissfulness, shining a faint red colour. In the corner of the room with the blankets covering only her legs as she wore beautiful nightwear that glistened pink, was Misora, calmly sleeping as her inhaling and exhaling swept across the room.

The virus's grin turned into an angered frown of despair. What it had been looking for was not their, and it's time had been wasted.

"_This girl has no close relationships with either of them….how subtle. It is disappointing, that I was immature enough to allow my time to go to waste with a pitiful excuse such as yourself."_ pondered the virus, slowly backing out of the room.

Before the virus could continue, it was suddenly distracted by a voice calling out to Fumika. Attempting to act normal, it straightened up before slyly turning to the agitating cause of it's demise. Making her way up the stairs was someone Fumika's knew very well, which enraged the virus further more as it was that exact same person which caused the virus to lose the battle from yesterday.

"What are you doing up here De Gozaru?" questioned Kaede, panting from running to the top.

"I was….lost" lied Fumika.

"Hm hm, that's understandable De Gozaru, but you shouldn't wonder off like that. Allow me to transport you to you're room" offered Kaede, smiling while doing so.

"_Why must these futile attempts muster amongst me! I shall only go further along my plan if I acquire a new host. Attempts so far have been…minimal. I must be careful around this one, she easily detects disturbances"._

"Ok…Thanks" whispered Fumika.

Clenching her fists, she arrogantly walked over to Kaede, not particularly happy that it's plan has once again…been delayed. Staring up at her, she continued to smile, forcing the virus to make Fumika smile back. It scorched the virus, to do such petty actions…but it will all be worth it….when it gains a new host. A more powerful host! An unstoppable host…

* * *

**Heres chater 7 for you're enjoyment!**

**I kind of rushed this chapter because I didn't have a lot of ideas to look foward to writing, but chapter 8 should be much better because of the awesome plans I have made for it!**

**I will be very grateful for any reviews!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	8. An Unwelcomed Visiter

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday 4.00AM - The Abandoned Hotel**

"I never expected it to be you Lilason. Perhaps Boycee, maybe even Anderson…but for you to become a deserter, it sickens me that I even considered you as a partner" snarled Tankins.

"Oh give it a rest Tankins. Do you really think the Self Defence Force gives a crap about what happens to a small task force like us? We were the bait, and they caught their fish. Now were inside the fish, believed to be dead by the Commanders and left to die as they reeled in the precious details we collected for them…bastards" replied Lilason.

Being greatly outmatched and outnumbered, Lilason didn't hesitant to obey Mana's demands that both her and Tankins should go on watch, keeping guard at the front entrance while the others…well…that still has to be discussed with them. She didn't understand how so many students managed to survive an outbreak like this. Mana and the others may have looked tough, but not even they could have matched herself and Tankins. They were hiding something, although she wasn't in a rush to find out. In due time maybe, but asking questions to someone that isn't particularly thrilled that you're here is basically asking for a shot to the head, and Lilason didn't want that after coming so far and knowing very little. She was intrigued, which was amazing to her because usually Jenkins was the one who would be boating that out loud.

Like this 'virus' Mana explained…can it talk? What does it look like? How did they even discover that it was a virus in the first place? It could be lies…but why something so preposterous? They could have easily agreed with Tankins and got onto his good side, but doing something so stupid and neglecting him…they must be telling the truth. Of course, they hadn't officially learned much from Tankins, maybe that's why they didn't fear him…because he was a complete moron to them during the first encounter. Worst of all know, Lilason certainly lost all respect she had for him a soon as he suggested leaving Fuuka and Fumika to their fates back at Ivary Street, orders or no orders, that's just sick.

That is partly why she joined them. Being with a monster like Tankins was just impossible, even if he did save them in the end. But in the end, it was Mana's explanation that caught her attention. This whole thing with…The First, was it? And the virus controlling the infected that are supposedly 'dead' it fascinated Lilason to the point that she wanted to know more, she wanted to see it for herself, experience it…for herself.

"Bet you're real proud…" whispered Tankins.

"I could say the same thing to you, freak" growled Lilason.

"Nothing freaky about following orders Lieutenant, but of course how would you know about that?" informed Tankins, slouching against the wall with his arms crossed as he gave Lilason a dirty look through his black glasses.

"I know that breaking an order is necessary if it means saving lives" hissed Lilason.

"Very humorous, if that was the case, why didn't you leave a few days ago? I'm sure all these druggies who are now out of control could have used you're help" smirked Tankins.

"First of all, their not druggies you ignorant fool, and secondly, if I left to command centre in plain view, they would have shot me on sight" notified Lilason.

"And that's a bad thing?" grinned Tankins.

"Go to hell".

"Already been their Lieutenant, much better than this shit hole" sighed Tankins.

"What do you really believe right now? That we would have been better off staying back at the house? That letting those two sweet innocent girls become one of them would have saved you all the trouble?" questioned Lilason.

"I believe…that without those twins, we would be dead. However, I do not believe that the dead are walking the earth…it is simply unfeasible, impractical, ridiculous. A virus that caused all this? Don't make me laugh" argued Tankins.

"And I suppose drugs are a much more reasonable answer?" replied Lilason.

"It is a certainty, under such conditions, I can only believe the reports the Self Defence Force has provided us. I will not…believe that such a monstrosity was created…by a simple liquid that thinks it is alive, that thinks it has the right to kill. Do you honestly think that a bunch of girls discovered not only what the cause what, but how to destroy it? Yesterday was a simple misjudgement, a spasm in the drug that caused everyone to black out with temporary paralysation until we came along. If you truly believe that a bunch of kids could take out something so…so tactical, so feeble, so…scientific, then you deserve to join them" explained Tankins, shaking his head with disappointment as he turned away, jerking his gun up as he approached the empty stairs.

"Where are you going!" growled Lilason, fed up of being ignored.

"You agreed to watch the door, I didn't…" answered Tankins, strolling up the stairs.

"_You're not about to abandon the truth, not again, not while I'm around…" _thought Lilason.

Grunting as she raised her gun high, she quickly followed Tankins, strolling up the stairs and leaving the entrance…completely unguarded. But hey, it's not like anything from the OUTSIDE can get in, right? That's exactly what Lilason thought.

* * *

The curtains were drawn, the lights were off, it was silent. Everything would have been perfect for the virus…if it wasn't sharing it's bed with Fuuka. She was leeched onto Fumika's arm, wrapping her hands around Fumika after finally feeling comfortable enough to sleep in peace. The virus had no memories of the twins being so…interactive, but that's mainly because they didn't share beds. Just another minor setback that further enraged the virus. breaking her grip without waking her up was going to be tricky.

Of course, it could just transfer itself into Fuuka, but the effort was not worth it. It would be time consuming and no new knowledge would be gained since their twins. Although it wanted to make it's escape to find a new host, it wasn't fully aware of Fuuka was asleep. Twenty minutes ago she was woken by Fumika and Kaede's presence, and until now, she had finally remained silent after what seemed like an eternity to the virus of immediate suffering, interacting with such a worthless human that acquires no information. It was cautious not to lose it's temper, no matter how dearly it wanted to. Fuuka was just something it needed to deal with, until now…Finally, finally it can escape the clutches of her increasingly growing grip.

Pretending to be asleep almost the whole time, the virus opened Fumika's eyes were they began to glow a faint but bright red colour again. A fatal flaw, one that needed fixing urgently for any success. For now though, it's biggest priority was to find a new host, a more suitable…flexible…stronger host, one that can sustain the virus without struggled, allowing it to enter freely and take command.

Slowly but wrathfully, the virus heaved it's head towards Fuuka, loathing her presence. It needed to be careful, one wrong move and she would awake, forcing it to take drastic measures. Looking down at Fuuka's grip, it grinded it's teeth together with irritation, creating a discomforting crackling sound as Fumika's eyes then cringe while the virus concentrated on escaping.

Slyly wiggling her arm around, Fumika slowly slithered her arm off Fuuka's loosened grip. Her hands slouched onto the springy bed where she then loudly exhaled, letting out a quite striving moan as she repositioned herself from her side to her back, curling her arms across each other and creating a small cross. The virus found no part of that cute, but rather revolting. Shivering with testimony, it threw the covers of Fumika's legs, allowing it to move more freely. It slightly adjusted them, tenderly bending them in and out until it was satisfied. Sliding them across the soft surface of the bed, Fumika's legs outstretched themselves over the edge of the bed before thumping onto the light red carpet and was agitatingly enough very scruffy, causing itching sensations. The virus simply ignored it though, craving for a new host, begging for another body or similar or equal power to it's previous body that The First unrightfully claimed as it's own.

Jumping to her feet, Fumika sinisterly grinned as she made her way over to the door, where she grappled the handle before finally opening the wooden obstacle and making her way into the dark, dull, cold hallway. She left the door open, no longer caring for the worries of waking Fuuka, for she will be no problem when the virus obtains what it is looking for. It wasn't going to mess around, not this time. Instantly looking to it's left, Fumika's sight directed to the room next to the recent one it was in. It indicated room thirty two, which was now the virus's lucky number.

Without a second thought, Fumika rapidly walked along the hallway, only travelling a few feet before reaching it's destination. Loudly exhaling with pleasantness, Fumika firmly grasped the handle, slowly jerking it down. As soon as the click was hear, the door fiercely flew open, only inches away from colliding with the door before Fumika's grip halted it to a stop.

To it's surprise, their were three girls in the room. It wasn't a problem, just more startling at a first glance…but little did the virus know, a first glance never caught everything, and the bad thing was…it knew that. As it's glistening eyes brightened up the room, scouring it's inhabitants, the virus suddenly froze, deeply shocked to what else was present. In the darkest part of the room, budged up in the narrow corner…was the boy. The Hanyō, the Inugami…Kotaro. The virus couldn't believe it's luck, did it really inactivate the great wolf boy? One of it's biggest threats, easily exposed to it's toxic poison? Surely it was a trap! No…these girls were unaware of anything, Fumika's memories were unaware…of anything, oh no…this is what that virus referred to….as destiny.

"_Ahh…such mistakes deserve to be punished. I will defy my acknowledgement and slightly plan ahead. The boy and I will become one, it was, and always has been our destiny to merge. I will rule with such immense power flowing through me, with such brutal strength pumping around my veins…the boy is mine, Kotaro…is my puppet" _thought the virus, straining it's grin further as it walked over to Kotaro.

Fumika's lips were pleasantly licked as the virus prepared for it's transaction. She was twitching with excitement, or rather the virus was as it move around Fumika's body, ready to transfer itself into Kotaro. The still shirtless boy laid their, unfazed by what approached, unknown to what awaits his fate…or soon to be, the virus's fate.

"_Here I am…you shall fall into darkness, fighting to stay alive as you fall…and fall…and fall into a never ending pit of despair, into a deep sleep as you and I…become one"._

Fumika stood over Kotaro now. She leaned over him, inches away from his lips as they were face to face. The virus unsteadily shivered with pleasure as it exhaled over Kotaro, glaring at him before lowering it's head. And then…their lips connected. Straight away, Fumika started to gag on the virus slowly slithering it's way up her throat. Their lips became wet with saliva as the process became harder for the virus, Fumika was fighting back, and she wasn't happy. The gagging grew louder, slowly turning into coughs which then turned into choking. The virus was slipping away from Fumika, it needed to get into Kotaro before losing full control of the pink haired girl, making her completely numb as she falls to the ground with the virus staining against the floor. It wasn't going to allow that to happen, not now, not after gaining such an opportunity. With one last effort, it thrusted Fumika further onto Kotaro as he lips pressed harder against his.

The last push did it. The virus leaked out of Fumika's throat and leaped into Kotaro's mouth, where it slowly inclined it's way down, purposely laughing at it's success.

But…something happened…something it didn't expect. The virus only made it half way down Kotaro's throat before it was blocked by a mysterious fluid. It strained the virus, slowly pushing it's way back up the unconscious boys throat and throwing it back into Fumika's where it was brutally shunted down her throat, tossing her off Kotaro and away from the bed he was laying on as the girl skidded across the carpet. The virus regained control of her, confused and very furious at the same time. It glared at Kotaro, watching something slowly slide back down his throat and disappear before it's eye. Fumika's eyes sharply widened with vicious rage as the virus faintly growled, cringing it's fingers as they harshly bent where it dug Fumika's nails into the fabric she was wearing, quickly tearing it.

"_WHAT IS GOING ON! I HAD THAT BOY IN MY CONTROL, I COULD FEEL HIS POWER, WHY! WHY WAS I FORCED BACK OUT! THERE IS NO EXCUSE, HE SHOULD BE MINE! MINE! THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY FOR ME TO BE REMOVED FROM THE HUMAN BODY WITHOUT FORCE. I DEMAND TO KNOW, I DEMAND AN EXPLANATION TO WHY THIS IMPRACTICAL, THIS IRREVERSABLE , THIS IRRESOVLABLE HUMAN WAS ABLE TO RESIST MY BEING, MY CELLS, MY VIRUS!" _screamed the virus in Fumika's sensitive mind.

She was heavily breathing, slightly disturbing the cheerleaders as they shuffled around, becoming slightly unhinged from their slumber.

Fumika fiercely turned back and forth between the girls, uncontrollably releasing its rage through Fumika. Still fully aware of raising suspicion, the virus outrageously backed out of the room, stomping it's feet across the soft floor until it entered the empty hallway again, only just sustaining it's rage from bursting out. It was very confused, and fuming with rage, but the plan needed to go on, with or without Kotaro's lustful…yearning body.

"_There is no explanation….I will simply find another host. This was a minor…inconvenience, but nothing that can stop me"_ thought the virus.

It may act normal, but Fumika's body was still showing the effects of it's rage, unsteadily quivering with anger as Fumika continued down the hallway, approaching the next door. Number thirty four, a room the virus begged to be the one. Not in a patient mood any longer, it roughly grasped the handle, immediately jerking it down as once again swinging the wooden door open, this time though, allowing it to bounce of against the wall and create a loud banging sound.

This time…the virus wasn't disappointed. Not as satisfying as Kotaro, but good enough to create a smirk on Fumika's face. All alone, lying on her bed with the covers over her body, was Konoka.

"_This girl…she has a close friendship with the one named Setsuna…exactly what I am looking for"._

Creeping across the floor, Fumika once again leaned over her victim, unknown to her surroundings. Without hesitation, without savouring the moment like before, the virus lowered down, hastily plunging Fumika's lips onto Konoka's. This time though, it's victim awoke. Drowsily waking up with the feeling of coldness pressed against her lips, Konoka widely opened her eyes with suspense, stunned by Fumika's actions. She quickly swiped her arms from out of the covers and raised them high, slumping them across Fumika's shoulders as she struggled to push her away.

It took a lot of effort, but Konoka managed to tear Fumika's lips of her, skidding the pink haired girl across the bed where she fell, thumping onto the ground and disappearing before Konoka's eyes.

"F-Fumika! What were you doing!" shouted Konoka.

Their was no reply, only the faint sound of steps scuffling across the floor, blending into the darkness. It was using the overly high bed to it's advantage, keeping itself hidden. Finally, being in a small, sneaky host had it's advantages. Konoka held the covers high, covering half of her face and she urgently looked around. The noise came from everywhere, as if Fumika was a spider, cluttering around the room for her own safety. Konoka would drastically twist her head with speed to every direction, she was very confused, but Fumika was still slightly freaking her out.

The noise then stopped, and Konoka couldn't tell where Fumika was. Unsteadily shaking, Konoka remained in one spot, too afraid to move. That was perfectly fine for the virus though…for it was convinced, that nothing could stop it now…not in the position it is in. Without a second thought, Fumika's hand shot up from the side of the bed, instantly grasping the end of the covers and viciously pulling them away from Konoka, exposing her lips. It didn't even give Konoka a chance to react as the virus leeched itself onto the bed, quickly clawing it's way up as it crawled on top of Konoka, putting all of Fumika's available weight onto her while madly screeching. Hesitant on what to do, Konoka experienced the kiss again as Fumika's lips pressed against hers, brightening up the twins eyes to a scorching red colour of satisfaction.

Determined, the virus used Fumika's hand to grab hold of Konoka's wrists and push them away. She may not have a lot of strength, but putting Fumika's weight on the push certainly restrained Konoka as she was forced down into the pillow by the kiss…or better known as the virus's transaction. With it now in full control, the virus attempted it's escape. Once again, it made Fumika gag hard, sliding It's way up her throat where this time it found it much easier. The gags turned into vile coughs as Konoka moaned with despair, straining Fumika's grip back as she felt them loosen. She was fighting back now, but it was too late.

The black substance known as the virus thrusted itself out of Fumika's throat, quickly surging into the baffled Konoka and surging down her throat, feeling itself take control.

Both girls madly twitched until Fumika fell to her knees, separating their lips as she slumped her head against the side of Konoka's bed. As for Konoka…

She was forced to immensely gulp, swallowing the virus whole. Then, she felt herself slip, just like Fumika did. Seconds later, her eyes frantically blinked, slowly turning her frown into an evil…sinister smile. Konoka was no longer herself, oh no. The virus, has taken over…and she, was in a deep sleep.

"_Oh Setsuna….where are you?" _thought the virus, quietly making Konoka laugh under her own breath.

* * *

Minutes after Fumika left the room, the sudden struggled from next door awoke Madoka. She was tired, dozy, barely able to keep her heaving eyelids open. She quietly moaned, feeling the after effects of waking up early, a constant beat against her head and blurry vision with stinging around the sides, just what she needed…

With the sticky feeling surrounding her eyes as they tempted to close again, Madoka shuffled back, swinging her shoulders around as they climbed the wall behind her, allowing her to lean up. Lifting his hand, she gently rubbed her knuckles across one eye, smearing away any crusty yellow sleep from the corner of her eye.

The faint light surrounding her didn't catch her attention at first as the discomforting feeling of her throat drying up agitated her. She gulped hard, trying to clear it of any gunk as the saliva partially soothed the feeling for a few moments before disappearing again. She lightly coughed, attempting to clear her throat until finally the obvious was finally noticed.

The door was open, not slightly, but fully open. It was inches away from her face, which was the problem. The door shouldn't be able to open that far, the little rubber stump nailed to the floor should have easily kept it contained within it's limits, meaning only one thing. Someone forced that door open, and by the looks of it, they weren't happy.

"_Mmm…w-what?" _wondered Madoka.

Turning to the other girls, both were sound asleep with their backs turned to her, facing the wall. Even so, they wouldn't be able to do such a violent action without disturbing at least one of them, and what's worse is, the only other suspects could be another member of class 3-A…right?

Deeply sighing, she faced forward, stretching her feet out across the bed as she unexpectedly yawned, loudly exhaling a breath of frustration. She didn't need this now…sleep was a big part of Madoka's life, just how could she continue her cheerleading abilities while slouching down half the time with drowsiness.

Then, another thing caught her eye, something unsuspecting, something that really should have been impossible…the bed was empty. The seemingly 'unconscious' boy….was gone.

* * *

Mana hurried herself down the stairs. Only after resting for a short while, she was convinced that she was at one hundred percent, ready to take her shift on guard duty at the entrance. She was questioning her decision to put Tankins and Lilason on watch, after all, she had only interacted with them for mere minutes and barely knew anything about them, only that Tankins wasn't trustworthy and Lilason…well, that was still to be decided.

Pasting herself, she slowed down while nearing the bottom. Something was bothering her, it was quiet, and with those two suppose to be on watch, that wasn't very likely to happen. Either Tankins had done…something, or Lilason was simply restraining herself from replying. It was uncertain, knowing very little about both was a great disadvantage that she needed fixing before trusting both of them. For all she could know, Tankins may be the good one…although she severely doubted it, and if it were true, then Mana would happily change that…

She reached the last stair case, and what a shock she gained from it…Taking the first step, Mana's tough boots stepped into a puddle of…something wet and cold. It made her slip, causing her to stagger back as she reached out for the railings. Her fingers numbingly grasped the metal bars tight, almost tearing her muscles and she struggled to keep herself upright. Whatever caused her to slip certainly wasn't their before. In fact, by the feel of it, the puddle was only recently made.

Mana dragged herself up, straining herself as she remained in one spot to avoid any more accidents, but that was the least of her worries. Slowly kneeling down, still keeping one hand firmly secure of the railings, she felt around the floor using her other hand, sliding her fingers across the dirty floor. Her finger splashed into the gooey blob of liquid as the coldness sent chills down her spine. Lifting her hand close to her face, Mana gained a clear view of the substance.

It was red…a shade of red to be exact. Mana could tell exactly what the substance was….blood….but not just any blood, the dark shading of it indicated….the long term effects of being infected. She didn't know why, but infected blood always darkened. I may be because of the virus's blackness swirling though the blood cells, but she wasn't positive. As for the coldness…well, of course blood was going to be cold inside a dead body, which was a problem. It simply supported her statement that the blood was infected's.

Slowly tilting her head away from her fingers to the remaining steps before her, horror struck into Mana's heart. Murkily lousing across the steps, as if created on purpose, was a trail of blood. The way it was positioned indicated that the blood was scraped upwards across the hard steps. Quickly looking past the steps with panic, completely becoming aware of Tankins and Lilasons disappearance….the barricade was exposed. The door was open. The blood trail…enters from their.

"Something….is in the hotel" whispered Mana.

The fact that nothing else was entering bothered her. Either the infected were still very stupid…or the virus was planning something. OR…Tankins and Lilason betrayed them, which she hoped was the least likely thing to happen, but it was possible.

Instantly leaping down the stairs, Mana kicked the slightly open door shut, gulping while doing so.

"THEIRS SOMETHING IN THE HOTEL!" screamed Mana, hoping to notify someone.

* * *

The sun was beginning to rise, dimming the halls with light as Makie walked through…wait…Makie? That's right, unfortunately for her, all remaining supplies were stored on the second floor. That meant that she needed to walk down from the third floor to the second, at night, alone, in the dark. The reason? She was thirsty, waking up with a sore throat never helped ease the relaxation, it just created a constant itch that agitatingly enough couldn't be reached because…well…she wasn't exactly going to scratch the inside of her throat now, was she?

In the past, healthy drinks would do the trick for the flexible girl. It would sooth the discomfort as the soft liquid ran down her throat, skimming against the soreness and releasing the strain. Learning about this sort of stuff really was handy, and she didn't think it would be! What a relief indeed.

Still wearing her pink fluffy nightwear, Makie hopped down the stairs, clacking her feet against the hard steps as the clapping sound echoed around the hallway. It wasn't loud enough to wake anyone and she knew it, but Makie still flinched. Hearing sounds like that at night would usually disturb her, so she cringed her eyes as her face tightened up with suspense, hoping that no one really did wake up.

Now learning from her mistake, Makie cheerfully but quietly skipped across the tiled infested floor which became less visible with each step as the light from the windows faded away with Makie walking into darkness. She wasn't afraid, why should she be? Their wasn't suppose to be anything and she was convinced that Mana and the others were still awake, looking after them.

"_How sweet of them" _she thought, perking up with a smile as she neared the end of the hall, close to the room with all the supplies.

The door was within her reach, oh joy! She couldn't wait to feel nice and refreshed again, it was what she loved. Reaching out for the handle, she gripped the cold metal, and could already feel the slight rusty feeling immerged. This door must have not been used very often, she wondered what it could have been before all this started…

Shrugging it off, she prepared to open the door, she prepared to taste the sweet sensation of-

""THEIRS SOMETHING IN THE HOTEL!" screamed a voice, matching Mana's from Makie's point of view.

It made her jump, quickly forcing her hand away from the door as they bounced onto her chest. Makie could slowly feel her heart rate increase immensely, theirs something in the hotel? What did the voice mean by that?

A ghastly growl hummed up the first floor stairs. Makie stood frozen, completely in a state of shock from the frightening sound. If the sound paralyzed her, just what would she do if the source of the growl revealed itself?

Dreading her thoughts, Makie gasped with fear as footsteps clumped up the stairs, one immediately after the other. But wait a minute…no human footprints could make such a tone with their two feet so quickly…it would take two people at once, and that would be dangerous. No, no one could be that stupid and risky…the sound continued though, growing louder. It…it sounds like a….

A bloody paw slapped against the surface of the second floor. It was torn up, barely looking…intact. Razor like claws chinged out of the paw, blemishing itself with a murky green, yellowish rotten colour, as if it were….dead.

The second paw slumped against the floor, pulling itself forward as another two long, gory, fleshless legs revealed themselves. The long nose of the creature poked itself out, quivering it's lips as it growled, showing it's vicious bloody teeth. Makie had seen one of these before, back at Mahora. The creature…was an infected dog.

It had it's sight on Makie, stalking her as if she was it's prey, carefully planning out it's attack as it crept closer to her. Makie didn't need to think, she backed away…nice and slowly…but of course, this only angered the infected dog, making it sickly bark. Drawl infested with other people's blood scattered from the bark, flying through the air and barely missing Makie. Some remained on the dog, gnashing down it's mouth until it hit the floor with disgust.

Makie quickly turned, screaming while doing so. She started running, allowing the dogs instincts to kick in as it quickly followed, easily catching up with her.

"HELP ME!" screamed Makie, further straining her already sore throat.

She reached the stairs and swiftly turned, using her gymnastic abilities to good use and curling herself around the railings, The infected dog clapped it's feet against the slippery floor, forcing it's speed to stop. A loud thump was heard as the dog couldn't restrain itself, thumping into the wall and dazing it for a few moments. It then regained control and learned of Makie's head start, angering it further. It's feet pounced against the steps as the dog climbed, witnessing Makie reach the halfway point of the hallway.

She couldn't stop, she was too afraid. If she did, she was scared that the beast would easily catch up and…ugh, she didn't even want to think about it!

Turning back, the horrific sight of the dog once again catching up made her scream again. Their was only one way to go now…through the fire exit, to the roof top. She had no choice! Their wasn't exactly enough time to think of anything else either!

Reaching the bright red door, she slapped herself against the bar, pushing it forward and unlocking the door. Just seconds after turning the corner, the infected dog bounced of the door, knocking it back open before it could close itself again.

Makie had a choice. Use the metal ladder that leads to the hordes on infected of use the metal stairs to reach the rooftop…not exactly a hard choice to make.

Stomping her feet on the metal plating, Makie grabbed hold of the railings and tiredly pulled herself up. She was gasping for air, for a rest, huffing and puffing hard. She could usually withstand more than this, but the infected dog really released the fear in her, taking out a lot.

It didn't take long for her to reach the top…but then again, nor did the dog. Makie was trapped. Panicking, she fatally tripped, scraping her knee's against the tar surface and creating a stinging sensation. She loud out a loud yelp, followed by heart breaking weeps as she pushed herself onto her back. Her eyes immediately met contact with the infected dogs. It was scary and she couldn't take it. Using her harmed legs, she pushed herself back, desperate to get away, only to be forced to stop when she reached the edge.

Makie looked over both her shoulders, flinging tears that were now streaming down her eyes. Over the edge was certain death by landing on hordes of infected, on the roof was certain death because of the dog. No matter what she did, she couldn't win, and she would become one of…them.

The infected dog slowly approached, heavily breathing with anxiously as it savoured the taste of success, and the taste of Makie. It barked one last time, causing Makie to shriek as she turned away, covering her face with her arms and hands. She didn't want to die! Not alone! Not like this!

All she could hear was the dog run at her with full throttle, ready for it's meal. Then it's footsteps stopped, and Makie only presumed that it had leaped for her, so she screamed one last time, begging for help as the crying continued.

"STOP!" shouted a voice.

The infected dog….did just that? It halted, screeching to a stop, only inches away from Makie who was still hiding away. It madly groaned as it turned, only to experience a gut wrenching kick to the face, causing it scrape across the edge and fall to it's demise.

Makie stuttered with her breathing, slowly tilting her head up and peaking through her fingers.

The sun created a gloomy orange atmosphere that surrounded her, and it was beautiful. But what was even more beautiful was her savoir. Standing their with his fist's clenched and his back straightened, pumping up his exposed chest, Kotaro looked down at Makie. Makie joyfully smiled with happiness as she expected a pleasant smile back. But he wasn't smirking though….because he knew, that something was wrong…...with him.

* * *

**Here's chapter 8 for you're enjoyment!**

**The Virus has a new host! A more powerful and trust worthy girl, the well respected Konoka! But something has troubled it, why was it unable to enter Kotaro? Just what will the virus do now?**

**Speaking of the virus, did it open the door and allow it's infected in? Was that apart of it's plan? Or did Tankins and Lilason have something to do with the troublesome appearance of the infected dog? **

**Kotaro has unexpectedly awoken, but to his disappointment? The infected dog listened to his command! Was this just because of Kotaro's Hayno side? And what did he mean when he suggested that something was 'wrong' with him? This can only mean trouble...**

**Thanks for reading!**

**P.S Just like Fumika, Konoka is completely safe from harm!**


	9. Another Evil Lurks

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday 4:05AM - The Abandoned Hotel Rooftop**

They both remained silent, they both looked at each other…but only one of them were smiling. Makie's tears streamed down her face, changing from fear to happiness as her sight uttered upon Kotaro, shining while doing so. The wind quickly picked up, swaying towards both students as if gracefully swept Kotaro's hair to the side, making him seem like a once in a life time kind of guy.

All Makie could do was whimper and smile, sniffling heavily while diagonally lying on the ground as her head stretched itself towards Kotaro, who continued to look down on her, who continue to frown. She didn't know why, and she didn't care…she was safe, and it was once again because of Kotaro risking his life to save her.

"K-Kotaro…" whispered Makie, trembling her high pitched voice while frantically blinking.

His heavy breathing could be heard, viciously inhaling and exhale as if he was angry about something. Makie did nothing wrong…did she? Not that she knew of, in fact, Kotaro had no reason to be angry…maybe…maybe he just rushed to get here? She had no idea where he was at the time, but Kotaro looked sick. His face was pale, he could barely keep his balance…as if he was….infected.

The thought made Makie flinch…Kotaro wasn't infected…..he couldn't be infected! He saved her! He talked! The faint wheezing scuffling up his throat only supported the thought, as if he was struggling to breath. It wasn't just his appearance though, usually Kotaro would be his usual self and check up on her straight after the threat was eliminated, Makie noticed this, but took no action, thinking it was nothing.

Kotaro's heroic look didn't last long as he slouched down, simply unable to withstand the bruising budging around his hips and partially his chest, both from the car incident and the…the…

Kotaro's eyes sharpened as he felt his heart beat increase, pounding against his ribcage. The thought of the f- the fi… HIM…it burned…what was happening….why was he dramatically become a living flame! Another step back, Kotaro hunched his back up as he retreated both arms inwards, grasping onto his aching stomach.

Makie watched as Kotaro's breathing intensified even further, if that was possible. Their eyes remained connected, both leering deep into one another's souls. Kotaro was in agony, and Makie could see it, she could feel it radiate of him and cover her like a blanket. He was struggling, deafening his cries that he so badly wanted to yelp out, but forced to keep in. She didn't know how, or why, but Kotaro was suffering and he didn't want to scare her.

The blood vessels in Kotaro's eyes strained themselves, stretching out and interacting with the pupil, becoming dangerously thin. It stung, devastatingly glazing his eyes with pain as tears squeezed themselves through the open tear ducts. The problem was, Kotaro wasn't making these tears…and that wasn't the worst part…they were black. A murky fluid disgustingly barrowed out of Kotaro, dripping down his cheeks and acting as tears as Kotaro became…inhuman…unnatural.

Makie slowly became terrified, watching Kotaro in anxious need of assistance, of help. She was deeply concerned, causing her to forget everything that happened and lose all fears. He saved her…now it was her turn. Slapping her fists against the floor, Makie forcefully pushed herself on the floor, ignoring the stinging in her graced knee's and staggering to her feet. She was exhausted, still in need of sleep, but that wasn't going to stop her.

Her feet felt heavy as they stumbled forward, slowly approaching the troubled boy. Only now did he start to let out ferocious cries of pain as it became too much. The stinging…the burns….the mental stability he was in…he couldn't control it! How! How can he stop it! He was never bitten, why is he feeling so dead!

During the hole process, Kotaro had kept his sights on Makie, wearily noticing her getting closer with blurriness. This caused him to violently act, not wanting to harm the poor girl. It had only been that punch to the infected dog was he in control…but now…he felt numb…he felt….infected.

Kotaro fiercely growled, revealing his razor sharp teeth as he cringed his mouth with pain, desperate to keep Makie away. That was only his doing though…the rest was completely unofficial as his body jerked back, as if being pushed. He grappled with the air, only to have his head violently jerked up like an uppercut and quickly dragged back down to Makie's height. He was a wolf who had been treated badly by his master…and now he had enough…but Kotaro wasn't in control…it was something…completely different. Makie was now only inches away, attempting to reach her delicate arms out as she looked to position them on Kotaro's shoulders.

"M-Makie…MAKIE…S-S-STAY AWAY FROM ME!" screeched Kotaro.

The voice echoed throughout the valley, impaling Makie with sonic waves of desperation, forcing her to freeze while her arms madly twitched around, unsure whether to continue or retreat.

"K-Kotaro! What's wrong!" questioned Makie.

Still holding his stomach, Kotaro crashed onto his knee's, causing the surface to vibrate. He was hesitant, to breath, to blink, continuously gulping and receiving a sickening after taste of rotting blood mixed with an unsatisfactory fluid…a black fluid. The blood vessels in his eyes exploded, completely filling his vision with blood as it poured into soft tissue, blinding him and completely staining his eyes a bright glowing red colour. His head tilted down, looking at the chitterling ground while nervously grinding his teeth. Each second that past, Kotaro was changing…he was losing control.

He tore his hands of his stomach, madly cringing his fingers as he leaned them outwards, separating them in front of his bare chest with the palm side facing him. They were unsteady, barely sustainable from going numb. His head was forcefully twisted slightly to the left, then to the right, examining both hands….lusting…both hands. Then…Kotaro's fist's clenched…but it wasn't him who controlled that action…it was someone else. Yelling at the top of his voice, Kotaro stretched out a fierce scream as he thrusted his head up, shouting into the sky while his eyes continued to glow red. Both arms quickly followed him, slicing through the air and rising above his head. Then, they dropped like weights, slamming both crumbled up fists into the roof and unbelievably cracking the concrete, slightly lifting parts of it up as it damped the surface under Makie, causing her to stagger around for balance.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" screamed Kotaro.

Without a second thought, Kotaro opened his palms and lifted his arms, entangling his claws into his black, spiky hair while grasping tight.

"What's the matter boy?" said another dark tone, coming out of Kotaro's mouth.

Amazingly, Makie watched Kotaro crack a smirk, only to have it disintegrate as Kotaro responded with harshness. His voice toned down, sounding darker, sounding…familiar.

"Kill the girl…NO…W-WHAT DID I JUST SAY? I-I..I NEED- release me boy…set me fr- LEAVE HER ALONE! GAHH! GET OUT OF ME! Resistance is futile! If you will not kill the girl, then simply skim her aliv- ARGHH! W-WHAT ARE YOU? YOU SICK CREATURE! You do not remember me boy?" instantly after the last word was spoken, Kotaro's fist launched itself up, smashing into his own jaw and staggering Kotaro to his feet "I am an old friend….and you are mine, you were always mine!"

Back and forth Kotaro argued with himself, each sentence turning from a dark toned creature back to himself. Kotaro couldn't take it anymore, he began strutting back, swinging his head back and forth as he became more monstrous, as he sounded more monstrous…something…was inside of him. Makie afraid, hesitating on what to do next…something was terribly wrong with Kotaro, she was becoming something he's not!

Bravely, Makie wasn't going to stand by and watch her friend suffer. She leaped forward, gulping loudly as one hand reached out to hold Kotaro. The tip of her finger interacted with his burning cheek, rapidly causing the creature inside to snap with madness, it wanted Kotaro…it wasn't going to let Kotaro go, no matter how much he resists! Shredding Kotaro's claws away from his hair, the back of it's hand viciously slapped Makie across the face, forcing her to fiercely twist back and hit the floor hard. She gasped, utterly shocked by what Kotaro just did. Turning back, Kotaro could see a bright red mark appear on her face as the tears quickly drifted over it…tears of heart breaking sadness.

That was it…he lost total control. Concentrating the rest of his remaining senses towards Makie's safety, Kotaro felt himself slip away, sinking into a puddle of darkness, a puddle of the black substance that swallowed him hole, engulfing any resistance still active…Kotaro….was no longer himself.

Spreading his hands out like wings in opposite directions, Kotaro looked back up to the dark sky, watching black clouds form around them and merge together, becoming one big personality of evil…pleasing him, making his mouth open wide as crazy laughter busted out, escaping his mouth as Kotaro's blood red eyes became permanent, as his skin darkened, as his muscles tore with the subtle black liquid flowing through them, though his veins, diving into the blood cells.

It was horrific, and Makie could do nothing but cower. Once her friend, Kotaro was completely changing into something else…into…an infected. But how? He wasn't bitten! He was even healthy enough to rid them of the infected dog! How is this possible!

Letting out a ear splitting screech, Kotaro's voice slowly faded away as his head tilted back down towards Makie, giving a sinister smirk that even she could tell didn't belong to Kotaro.

"W-Who are you!" cried Makie.

The glare that Kotaro gave Makie sent shivers down her spine. He didn't reply, he didn't blink while his eyes burned a lava red colour of blood. It was slow at first, but through his skin, connecting from the eyes to the mouth, was the awry colour of black, becoming bold as it zigzagged along Kotaro's rough skin like lightening and making him less human, rather more fearful.

His breathing was silent, and so was his footsteps as Kotaro stormed through the blistering cold, stomping his feet against the already cracked ground until he looked down at Makie, watching her cower…it was disgraceful. The creature inside of Kotaro showed no bother to her pity reactions of soreness, to convince it to let her free. Yes…it remembers this one…back at that pathetic school in the toilets with the ones called Nodoka and Yue….IT LOATHED THEM…for this boy saved them…

However…the tides of battle has changed…it is in control now…and it will show no mercy. Without a second thought, Kotaro's hands clutched onto Makie's hair without a care, quickly continuing it's walk. Makie sobbed with compassion, grabbing Kotaro's wrist and dragging it down, clawing at it, doing whatever she needed for him to release his grip…but to her horror, left the creature unaffected.

She was being dragged along the hard, damp floor now, crying out loud as more tears dropped from her cheeks, and yet the creature remained proud….it remained…first. With Makie behind it, grappling for freedom, Kotaro halted over himself the edge, leaning his feet half over the building as he looked down with delight. The infected….IT'S infected….were waiting….hungry…desperate for Makie. They all looked up, lifting there arms and closing there palms, as if Makie was in reach in there eyes.

Looking back down, Kotaro watched Makie whimper, as the small spill of blood from her knee's stained her beautiful nightwear….blood….that luscious blood. Then, it fiercely trailed Makie across the surface, sliding her over the edge where her exposed legs dangled. The only thing holding her up now was the creature, painfully gripping harder onto her hand and pulling it. Makie screamed, which was music to the creatures ears.

Then, Kotaro took a deep breath in, slowly exhaling most of it over Makie before speaking.

"Who am I…" the tone was dark and sickening "Do you fear death…Makie?" asked the creature through Kotaro.

Makie whimpered louder, squirming around as she ignored the answer.

"Because I am death….and you're time has come. Death…is a path we must all take…" whispered Kotaro.

Terrifyingly, Makie could feel Kotaro's grip loosen as a smug smile slowly planted itself across his face. The creature enjoying this….it enjoyed watching Makie cry, watching her fear for her life…and this was only the beginning.

Ready to let go, Kotaro suddenly heard a voice behind him, a familiar voice….an accursed voice. Instantly recognising the tone and rhythm, Kotaro pulled Makie back in, rapidly turning both him and her around where he wrapped one arm around her neck and the other pointed at her chest, using her as a hostage. His eyes widened at the sight of them…and there eyes widened at the shocking sight before them.

Kotaro hissed, digging his sharp claws further into Makie's skin, warning the opposing foes that if they came any closer…he would do it without hesitation…and he would enjoy it. Makie scarcely bit her lower lip, trying not to move around as much in case the sharp pinch she was feeling burrowed in any further, and she didn't want that.

Climbing up the blood drenched stairs, Setsuna, and Kaede quickly joined Mana who was angrily staring at Kotaro, unable to accept that he was about to do the unthinkable. All three girls lined up, building up with rage and concern as they seeked Maki's safety more than the actual disturbing scene itself.

"K-Kotaro? What are you doing!" growled Mana.

"Let her go, Kotaro" joined Setsuna.

"We don't want to hurt you De Gozaru" warned Kaede.

The comments made Kotaro snarl, quickly laughing under his own breathe right after. He jerked his head back and twisted it around, creating infuriating cracking sounds before staring into the eyes of Mana.

"Haha…HAHAHA…You don't understand….you never understood!" laughed Kotaro.

"What are you talking about!" demanded Mana.

"Kotaro is gone….he was always doomed…ever since that very moment he fell to my standards" explained Kotaro.

"W-What do you mean?" stuttered Setsuna, becoming interested in what Kotaro had to say.

"My dear….it's me…it was always me….from the very beginning. You don't remember? Let me ask you a question….do you…..do any of you…fear death?" questioned Kotaro.

It hit them all hard….it wasn't possible….it shouldn't be possible! It was right there and yet they still couldn't believe it! Evangeline burned it! Vaporized! HOW IS IT POSSIBLE?

"You cannot kill what is already dead….the dead…never stay dead….The First….NEVER….STAYED….DEAD!" screeched The First, revealing it's true identity without stutter, without hesitation….but with pleasure.

* * *

**Here's chapter 9!**

**The First is alive! How will this tie in with the virus's plan! What will happen with Makie and the others! Just how Did The First survive and become Kotaro in the first place! All these will be revealed in the next chapter!**

**Any reviews will be appreciated!**

**Thanks for readng!**


	10. There Can Be Only One Virus

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

Killing the sound…killing the mood…no one could react straight away. It was a complete shock, learning the truth. The wind…the air, thinned with depression. The very essence of each of them cramped with horror as Kotaro's smirk grew….after so much work…so much death…it wasn't over. It was never over! They wanted answers….how, how could it survive such horrific damages conflicted onto it? Nothing but the deep breathing of Kotaro and the detectable weeps from Makie could be heard, surrounding them like a horde of hyenas, uncontrollably laughing at there unstable sight.

Makie was forced to crouch down, her being taller than Kotaro an all as his prickly arm gagged her, tightening around the smooth surface of her fragile neck. If it wasn't for the jagged claws almost piercing the skin of her chest as it dug deeper, she would attempt to escape, but she was drowning in her own fear…almost going into a violent state of shock. Her breathing increased, not only was the roots of her hair still sore from being pulled on, but dangling over those…things…the thought made her twitch. What if they never came? What if Kotaro did let go? She would have fallen….and felt those monsters sink their teeth into her beautiful skin…ugh…the blood…t-the flesh.

The warm bask of Kotaro's breathe whistled past Makie's ears, sweeping through the air and disintegrating any purity within the winds. Particles would burn away, rotting into more depression as slops of air would melt into infectious tissue, becoming absorbed by Kotaro. He smirked turned into laughter, witnessing the speechless protectors become useless, futile to do anything that doesn't resort to the sweet pink haired girls death.

Her fear irradiated like smoke in Kotaro's blood red eyes, withering throughout the atmosphere and attracting more infected with her stench of flesh…of blood…of fear. The smell made Kotaro sighed with pleasure as it sickly aroused the creature inside of him, The First. He could feel his skin tingle, igniting into spasms as his the black substance injected itself into more of Kotaro's muscles, pumping them of, making them invulnerable…stronger. It may have control…but there were many…many things to adjust to it's liking…and luckily for The First, Kotaro was just to it's liking. Strong, confident, devoted to becoming more powerful….he was perfect.

The black zigzags escaping from Kotaro's eyes and connected into the mouth squirmed around, showing small lumps slowly process it's way up and down, sending the black fluid into different locations of the body where it improved Kotaro's stability to becoming an appropriate host who could contain the virus without any disturbances. The First glared at Mana, still smirking as it ran Kotaro's tongue along his dehydrated lips…The First was thirsty for blood.

"Ahhh…" a ghastly sigh escaped his mouth "one big reunion" Kotaro winked.

His voice trembled with catastrophic sound waves, illuminating not only his voice, but Kotaro's as both overlapped each other and collided to make an uneasy echo that softly vibrated. Kotaro looked as if he was in a panic, frantically blinking while twitching his head towards Setsuna, to Kaede, back to Mana where his smirk turned into a frown. The sight of them…the ones who tried to rid it of this world….it was unacceptable!

"You're lying…." suddenly interacted Setsuna.

Kotaro wryly stretched his eyes towards Setsuna, keeping his head still as he gave her a dirty look. It was her….Setsuna, the one who restrained it from halting Evangeline's blast…but not only that…she was the one who ended it…who sliced it in half, grimly. The white winged beast was who she was to The First, another threat that needed eliminating. It was instinct that kept it from attacking her right now…for it would be a gory idea. Kotaro was not ready, he was still suffering from injuries that could easily be healed with mere hours of mutation to the virus. Exposure to all things grim…was always the answer.

"Am I?" questioned The First, scraping Kotaro's claws through Makie's nightwear and revealing her skin which was beginning to grace up from sharp contact with his claws "Don't think I wont hesitate…" he warned.

"W-Wait…who are you?" questioned Mana.

"Who am I? HAHAHA! My dear, you asked that question before and already knew the answer…so I can only assume that you know the truth now. The First….is not an unlikely being".

He was referring to himself in the third person…was it trying to trick them? Was it really The First? There was no true way to be sure…not unless they had some solid evidence, but all they have right now is an influenced Kotaro claiming that he is the first. One things for sure, he is infected, but he's also alive.

"How is that possible?" quickly cut in Kaede.

"Ah ah ah, it's not going to be that easy…" growled The First, turning his sight down to Makie "Makie…is it? Such a plentiful name…why don't you explain to these minions what heresy you have just encountered" ordered The First.

She was trembling, struggling to keep herself upright. As soon as The First ended his sentence, he prodded Kotaro's claws further into the skin, slightly cutting open the first layer of skin and forcing Makie to yelp out. One eye slammed shut tight as the other pierced itself open, glistening bright as the sight of Mana and the others unable to do anything scared her.

"W-Why…" whispered Makie, directing her response to The First.

"What's that my dear?" shrieked The First. Kotaro's palm slithered up Makie's neck, repositioning itself until his palms clutched onto her jaw where he redirected her sight back towards Mana "Speak up, I don't think they heard you"

"Ugh…O-One of those things….chased me up here" sobbed Makie, roughly having her jaw released where her head slouched back down.

"Really? Why…there must be some kind of mistake. If I remember collect…two of my seductive infected breached you're fortress….and if this boy only rid of one…" smirked Kotaro.

"What!" shouted Setsuna, quickly turning to Mana.

"I-It was you….who let them in!" growled Mana.

"Bravo….Bravo indeed. I suggest you hurry though…I can feel my minions hunger rising….it is lusting for one of you're friends my dear…and it is not in a waiting mood" revealed The First.

"Ah! Kaede, Setsuna! Protect the students! I'll deal with this old piece of trash…" ordered Mana.

"Yeessss…very tactical…very smart. That's what I liked about you're cells Mana…they were ripe with intelligence…" smirked Kotaro.

Without hesitation, Kaede was the first to move, trembling down the stairs with speed while Setsuna was a little more…subtle. She hesitated at first, still a little weary after learning of The First's presence…it's suppose to be dead….why isn't it dead!

Her feet stepped to the side, keeping focus on nothing but Kotaro. Another step, she was behind Mana now, having her view blocked and snapping her out of the hypnotism she was under. There was another infected in the building…and that put her friends in danger…she needed to find the threat. Twisting her flexible body to the side, Setsuna began running down the dented stairs, quietly whispering a small requirement she needed Mana to solve.

"Save her…" whispered Mana, referring to Makie as she disappeared down the stairs.

Mana didn't flinch, she didn't nod, but contained her aspiration to attack. Setsuna didn't need to request that task…because she planned to retrieve Makie from the harm before her. It wasn't going to be that simple though…The First was a Psychopath, in a unstable state of mental hygiene…but that was before being defeated. Now…she can't even describe how screwed up he must be…after experiencing such a traumatizing event that almost killed him….ALMOST, only it could tell how retractable it was. The worst part was, Kotaro could feel every last bit of that mental pain, disturbing even the most courageous being such as himself. How to free him…how to truly kill The First. She had to worry about that later though, Makie was her biggest priority.

"Let her go!" ordered Mana.

"Really? That's all you can say? You're not at all curious to how I survived…to how this boy is in my possession?" questioned The First.

Mana was interested, but she didn't want to show it. Besides, Makie was much more important.

"Why should I care about a disgraceful creature such as yourself? I believe you mentioned something about losing…that if you lost, you would rather be dead….and yet here you are" explained Mana.

"I did not lose…don't you dare say that I lost….if it wasn't for that immortal girl, you would all be under my control! I DID NOT LOSE!" screeched Kotaro.

"You can't admit you're loose, so you hide behind others. You hide behind Kotaro, Makie, to forget your own defeat. I have no interest in you…because we already won" harshly responded Mana.

"Ha…HAHAHA…How devious of you. You lie to hide you're curiosity….humans can be pathetic at certain points. How about we make a deal? A proposal?" offered The First.

"What…kind of deal?" replied Mana, obviously intrigued.

"Hm hm, I knew you couldn't resist…I am simply too fascinating…but then again, I am The First. Everything about me is greatly achievable" it was being smug now, looking proud "Ask what questions are needed…and I will spare you're puny friend" informed The First.

She didn't have a lot of options…this could be her only chance to free Makie. But what if it was a trap? Then again…receiving answers isn't exactly bait….but why did The First want people to know so much about itself? Was it really that anxious to be noticed….or did it just enjoy the attention…

"Very well…" sighed Mana.

"Gah…you give in too easily human…very well, ask you're pitiful questions" insulted The First.

The comment confused Mana. First it wanted her to ask them….and now it's regretting the action? It wanted Mana to rebel? It was immature, acting like…like a child….of course! It's in Kotaro, therefore it has his personality! Kotaro always looks for a challenge, both physically and mentally…and giving in so easily has disappointed The First to the point that delivering her answers would be the only action it actually received from her. It was so simple!

"Let's get the obvious out of the way…how did you survive?" asked Mana.

"Hohoho, straight to the point, I like that. Where to begin…where to begin indeed…".

"Stop stalling!" demanded Mana.

"What could I possibly be stalling for, my dear? Have a little patience…and you will receive your answers. So much has happened…SO…MUCH…PAIN. How to sum it all up…how to explain my demise….IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO EXPLAIN A LIE! I WAS NEVER DEFEATED! Therefore, it leads me to admit the truth. After being…obliterated by the vampires blast of energy…the virus escorted most of itself out of the body. Meanwhile, I was…abandoned, the virus eliminated any trace of personality related to me from it's system, leaving me to rot in that accursed battered body. Of course, I managed to put up a fight, tearing apart of it's cells to join me, but t wasn't enough. As the virus escaped through the users mouth, I slowly sunk into the intestines…and that's where young Setsuna cut the body opening, creating a passage" explained The First.

"S-So…you were split off by the virus. It wooed you as useless and decided that it would be better of on it's own by leaving you to your fate" interrupted Mana.

"Correct…human. While in the intestines, I had no interest in the remaining cells of the original virus clutching onto me, so just like it did to me, I shredded it away, splitting us off. As you can imagine…the coldness was blistering as soon as the upper torso became irradiated with the open world, exposing it's light onto me. Ha, well…that's when the wolf boy came in. Foolish…very foolish…but I wasn't complaining".

"What did you do to him!" growled Mana.

"It's not what I did my dear…it is what he did. Becoming engulfed in his own rage, the boy anxiously tossed the upper torso into the crowd of infected, causing him to lose balance and fall to the floor…right…besides…me. I took it to my advantage. Before anyone could react, I made my way into the unconscious boy, gasping for a user, begging for my cells to regenerate. As you can imagine…I witnessed the virus's demise with the boys eyes, becoming dust by the girls magical abilities".

"So…it was you? You started all this again!".

"Don't be so discreet. I could barely move, losing so many of my being. Once taken shelter in the boy, I went into a deep sleep, slowly, piece by piece, articulating my cells to reform into one whole again. Compelling evidence, none the less, for I am here, and here I am" smirked The First.

"But…if you didn't begin all this…then wha-"

"Wasn't you listening? Obviously the virus had been vaporized, put into a similar state as me. Remember my dear…there was still a few cells remaining in the intestine from where we split off. I can only imagine it managed to find a new host…somehow. And as you have already figured out, it is out for revenge, much like me…but there can only be one true virus…".

"What do you mean!".

"I MEAN…I am the virus's fear. It is afraid that another being like me will take command over it's army, that I will overrun it with power. The infected will only listen to one of us…and only the most powerful will prevail. I am the new and improved virus, but it is the old and well respected virus…a hard choice to pick from, if I do say so myself".

"Then answer me this….why now? Why not attempt to overrun the original virus at it's weakest. What made you do such a thing now?" questioned Mana.

"I was asleep, still recovering, fool. Only moments ago was I awakened when the virus disturbed my slumber. That is when I took action. In the enemies stronghold…completely unsuspecting…I was invisible to you inclined living. As you can see, my first action was releasing my pets into the building…of course, still temporarily adjusting to the body, the boy managed to regain his senses for a certain amount of time. He unfortunately saved this pathetic excuse of a girls life…but one still remains in the building…and sooner or later…it will strike with prejudice".

"W-Wait…the original virus…is in the building!" panicked Mana.

"Hmm? Oh…yes…I believe that to acquire such a formable position to be in, it must be taking refuge in one of your dearest friend….how delicious. It attempted to fondle with the boy, to transfer itself into him. Unfortunately for it, I wasn't about to let that happen. I fought back…won…and the virus is still unaware of my presence…very delightful indeed. The element of surprise in now in my hands" grinned Kotaro.

"Do you know who!".

"Are you really that stupid? Look for the signs, the obvious…was any of your friends out in the open once the infected had risen again? Wait…don't answer that…I prefer to keep my knowledge to a minimum. Be warned though…the virus is sure to have transferred itself into another user. How do I know? Because I was apart of it…and it hated rummaging through weak bodies…it will be making it's way up the chain of power…and it will achieve it's goal. Until then…I will be waiting, so the battle can be outrageous!" chuckled Kotaro.

"Why are you telling me all this?".

"Oh come now…just imagine the chaos created if not only me and the virus were to battle…but you and your friends joined. Think about it…so much death…so much blood!".

"Your sick! Release Makie at once!" ordered Mana.

"Sick…" a long pause "no…you have no idea…how sick, I can be. I have a voice in my head…and do you know what it's saying?" he was expecting a response "Do you? Allow me to expose how sick I can be…because I'm going to listen to that voice…and it's telling me to bite this girl…to pierce this boys teeth through her luscious skin…to infect her…to saviour the sweet…sweeeet…taste, that oh so detailed taste of blood. The voice…I-It's taking over…I'm drowning in it pleads….and it feels good" sadistically sighed The First.

The comment made Mana flinch, forcing her to take a few steps forward with panic. She was lied too, and worst of all, Makie was in even more danger than ever. The First was serious, his tone, his eyes…they were something you couldn't easily ignore without showing some sort of reaction, and Mana did exactly that, slowly staggering forward cautiously and trying not to make The First feel threatened.

"Don't do it…just let her go" calmly requested Mana.

"Yesss…let her go…perhaps I can make another proposal?" smirked Kotaro.

"No more proposals! Let her go now!" ordered Mana.

As she took another step closer, Mana froze with utter devastation. Overhearing the conversation, Makie begun struggling her way out of Kotaro's grip, throwing herself around as it caught The First off guard. One hand wrapped it's fingers around Kotaro's free hand, stopping The First from striking while the other stained itself to pull Kotaro's arm away from her neck. Her flexibility was a huge advantage, letting her slip out from under the secure grip. Now she was free, all she had to do was escape his reach. Elbowing him in the stomach, Makie looked for a quick escape, tapping her feet against the cracked surface as she took the first few steps, quickly approaching Mana.

It just wasn't enough though. Simply retaining it's past abilities, The First easily regained it's concentration on Makie. Using it's acquired speed, The First unnaturally wobbled around, thrusting itself forward where it stretched out Kotaro's arm. Just like that, Makie was in it's grasp again as Kotaro's hand roughly tightened around Makie's wrist, forcefully jolting her back where she sobbed out Mana's name.

Mana reacted fast by running forward, eager to run to Makie's aid. Then, her eyes widened with disbelief. She watched, with regret. As soon as Makie was close enough, Kotaro hissed with satisfaction as his jaw clutched down, widening his mouth. Makie was futile to resist as she was forcefully dragged through the thick air. Fully redirected at Kotaro, the boys other hand curled around Makie, slapping itself against her neck where her began to push her forward...closer and closer…until he was in reach. The First tilted Kotaro's head to the side, awkwardly positioning Kotaro's strike as his teeth singed into Makie's left shoulder. Piercing the skin and inserting the virus's bacterial disease, quickly spreading through Makie.

Makie cried even louder, screaming out weeps of soreness as the process was complete. Satisfied, Kotaro jerked his teeth out, leaving the flesh intact, but the bite mark clearly visible as blood spilled out. He may have left the flesh, but the natural red blood stained Kotaro's teeth as he ran his tongue over them, savouring the taste. Witnessing Mana approaching, Kotaro released any grip and harshly pushed Makie forward, colliding her with Mana who immediately held Makie with worry.

With it over and done with. With Makie now infected, The First fell back, outstretching his arms as if expecting to be caught while lunging off the side of the building backwards, disappearing from Mana's sight.

Makie could barely stand as she could feel the virus weakening her…changing her. She feel back, only to be caught by Mana who crouched down, supporting the pink haired girl as her breathing became slow…as her voice became weak. The tears continued to fall, more gracefully this time as Makie started to feel nauseating, gaining a headache while leering at Mana who's expression where indescribable.

"Makie, Makie look at me! You're going to be ok, alright?" Mana didn't know whether she was lying or telling the truth, she just wanted Makie to feel safe "Were going to find Konoka and everything will be ok. J-Just stay with me" she was beginning to become teary as her voice trembled. Even so, she put on a comforting smile "Y-You're going to be just…fine" whispered Mana.

Konoka's room was nearby…she could make it…no…she will make it! Makie wasn't going to become one of those things, not another student, not another friend! Without hesitation, Mana lifted herself up, carrying Makie in both arms as she struggled to keep balance, hastily running to the stairs in hope of some kind of good news.

Little did she know…Konoka…wasn't really Konoka.

* * *

**Here's chapter 10!**

**Makie has been bitten by The First! Will Mana make it to Konoka in time? Or should I say...the original virus! **

**Any reviews will be appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	11. A Regretful Heal

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday 4:16AM - The Abandoned Hotel**

The fury of the suns rays lightly blazed through the window, shedding brightness across the room where the clearness of Fumika and Konoka became more visible. Konoka's glowing eyes dimmed, which was good for the virus…approaching Setsuna with such a fatal flaw wouldn't be…intelligent. The warmness of Konoka fuzzed around…this was the first time the virus had actually controlled a magical essence…and it was very lustful, unbearable to those that have no experience with mystical abilities.

"_T-This…feels…tremendous! The energy is not necessarily combat material…but if this is what minor magic feels like…then think of what the boy could achieve with me bound into his mind! The blood…so much blood…I would be unstoppable…improbable to defeat…no one could oppose me! Ahh…This child…according to the memories in her mind, she….is a healer…a murky threat to my infection, but not subtle enough. Perhaps I can mutate this power…to change it's effects from healing…to spreading my virus using the flow of accurate energy transferring from the child into the next host"._

It wasn't just the flow of raw power…oh no…this girl had to much more to offer…not only is she the

least suspected person of the entire group, but the amount of knowledge she has with the others members…it was almost overwhelming to the virus. She knew there techniques…there abilities…even personal secrets. A gracious host indeed…one that not need be controlled for long….if the girls memory is right, conceding into Setsuna would take little effort, for both girls are willing to have a relationship…Konoka was just to self centered to see it fully.

"_How precious…a feeble relationship between two humans…it's sickening. No matter, once I have this child out of my sights, I will lure Setsuna into my trap…where her and I shall become one. The white winged beast will be a delicate host…learning to use such abilities will be tricky, especially with the virus's shattering mutation…her wings may not be suitable to withstand the immensity…yes…a very delicate host indeed…"_ thought The Virus.

Still lying on the soothing bed, Konoka turned her head towards Fumika, sadistically glaring at her with ignorance. She looked so sweet…gah…did it really just think that? Perhaps Konoka wasn't the best host…with power comes a price….her personality. Fumika did look sweet, quietly laying her head against the soft bed and gently exhaling…it was hard to believe that she was ever possessed, and that's what made the sight painful, that the virus was forced to hide itself away…it was despicable.

Then, a knock at the door, it slightly startled Konoka as she felt herself jump up, quickly floating back onto the bed like a feather where she bounced around, squeaking the springs. Her dimming eyes awry and slowly turned to the door, giving a manipulating stare as if expecting trouble. Now wasn't the best time to be disturbed…not when Fumika is lying unconscious on the bed while the virus continued to adjust itself to Konoka's flow of rhythm. The surge of power really was pleasurable…maybe even enough to distraught the virus.

A low and gentle tone withered through the door, sounding rather panicky. It made the virus tilt Konoka's head with fascination as it recognised the voice…it resembled the one girl it was looking for. Destiny really was the word for it, much like any other chance the virus has gained.

"Ojou-Sama, is everything ok?" questioned Setsuna, sounding rather worried and out of breathe.

Konoka sinisterly smirked, this was the perfect opportunity…it just needed to be careful, any view of Fumika will bring up questions, completely delaying and perhaps ruining the plan it had worked so hard on. How to reply…how would this girl…reply? A sweet…long lasting tone…how discreet, and yet humans respond wearily to this sort of rhythm…pathetic…very pathetic indeed. Sliding her legs along the sheets of the bed, feeling the slight tingle of friction buzzing against the surface of her skin, Konoka hastily hovered her feet above the floor, firmly thumping them against the red carpet and jolting up, straightening out her back.

Brushing her feet along the carpet as the virus shuffled closer, it could feel Setsuna's concern irradiate through the door…she was tempted to just walk in, but at the same time, she could imagine Konoka…not particularly ready, as in clothes and perhaps other similarities. She didn't want to be rude, but with the threat of an infected roaming the building, caring for Konoka was a specific objective Setsuna seeked to keep. Another three knocks, this time louder, Setsuna really was in deep sorrow. With no response to her first answer, she can only assume that something was wrong.

Letting out an obnoxious sigh, Setsuna looked to her left, then to the right, keeping her distance from the door in case Konoka did answer. Anything could happen, the infected could slowly creep it's way towards her with her back turned, it could even slip past her sight, gaining another opportunity to endanger other students…She couldn't allow that.

Becoming more desperate, Setsuna bit her upper lip with spitefulness as she struggled to decide on how to react. Does she leave? Maybe Konoka is simply too tired to wake up…it would seem improbable though, she is usually a light sleeper. Then, without question, Setsuna slumped her hand on the handle, squeezing it tight with hindrance. She didn't want to open it, but she was left with no other options. The handle was gently jerked down, and the relieving thing was, Setsuna didn't do it. Retreating one hand quickly behind her back, Setsuna breathed in hard as the door crept open.

The scent of Konoka sprouted out, tickling Setsuna's smelling senses with delight as light dimmed from the room. The door only slightly opened as Konoka revealed herself, wearing a turquoise buttoned shirt with bunny's patterned around it. Konoka looked…adorable…to say the least, and even more satisfying, she looked safe, releasing Setsuna of any stress.

It was only a small gap in-between the door, barely showing any insight of the room as Konoka's plentiful body blocked most of the view…not that Setsuna was looking at Konoka's perfect figure or anything…her eye sight just happened to collapses down with relief, slowly regaining it's mobility as it examined Konoka from head to toe. It seemed that every time she laid her eyes on Konoka…her beauty would grow…and her lust would barely keep itself contained as she stuttered at Konoka's natural essence.

The fact that Konoka was only slightly opening the door didn't faze her. It's not as if she was hiding something…and after all, after such traumatizing events occurring right outside, Setsuna couldn't blame Konoka for hesitating to open the door fully.

"Oh…Hello Setsuna" whispered Konoka, sounding rather…diplomatic.

"Y-You don't usually call me by that…is everything ok?" questioned Setsuna, raising suspicions

"_Bah, this girl refers her to another name? Yes…I see it now…Set-Chan_…._it's disgusting…enough is enough, I tire of possession worthless beings…If it must be said then so be it…you will be my Set-Chan…one way or another"._

"Uh…sorry S-Set-Chan…I'm just a little tired" Konoka's body slyly slithered through the small gap "You look postponed…" now only inches away from the tentative swordsman who was attempting to resist Konoka's charms, The Virus slowly ran Konoka's fingers along the handle, calmly taking a quick grasp where it began to close the door, hiding away Fumika and any chance of failure "Is there anything I can do to…relieve you…Set-Chan?" softly offered Konoka, attempting to arouse Setsuna with her pleasurable movements and manipulative voice.

It caught Setsuna of guard and she gulped hard, slowly backing away while doing so as Konoka enticed herself closer, temptingly swaying herself around and making Setsuna blush as she turned away…what was going on!

"Ko..Ko- Ojou-Sama…please…t-this isn't appropriate, you're in great danger" stuttered Setsuna, slumping against the wall.

"Oh…" pleasurably exhaled Konoka "Well then…I best stick close to you, for protection" her eye winked as Setsuna.

"_Just a little bit more…and they shall interact, where she will willingly expose herself …and we shall become one…with a simple kiss"._

Setsuna was futile to fight back. She didn't want to hurt Konoka in any way by rejecting her but…this wasn't right! Why is Konoka acting this way? It's just not like her to…to do this! She wanted it to end, she really did, but the actions from Konoka just forced Setsuna to freeze…as if…as if her mind didn't want it, but her heart did...she had waited for something like this to happen…but also avoided it at the same time, unwilling to accept that such a thing could happen between them.

"O-Ojou-Sama…please, I-I cannot allow this to continue…" whimpered Setsuna.

Konoka drifted even closer, pinning Setsuna against the wall as her silky hands comfortably pressed themselves against Setsuna's wrists, making her unable to move as the virus pressed Konoka's body against Setsuna's for better support when…the transaction begun.

"But Set-Chan" Konoka's voice slightly dulled down with a menacing tone as a warm bask of air was exhaled onto Setsuna's face. There lips were inches away from each other, and all Setsuna could do was watch as Konoka soothingly made her lips wet, preparing to kiss…or so she thought "You and I…were meant…" the tone was completely different now. The tone and rhythm was much…much darker and sinister "to become one…".

As Setsuna's heart beat dramatically increased, she slightly tilted her head up, resisting the urge to kiss her. Something wasn't right…they meet and within the minute, Konoka was all over her. She would never do something so explicit…so forcible… it deeply troubled Setsuna and yet there was nothing she could do. She couldn't fight back, she couldn't convince the hypnotic girl…it was as if Konoka was being controlled, and Setsuna was the bait. Konoka leaned in, prepared to press her lips against Setsuna's…until….

"Konoka!" gasped a voice. Footsteps could be heard trifling down the second floor stairs with desperation as the impact on the surface vibrated around, sending a shiver down Konoka's spine as she feverishly twisted her head towards the source of the sound. A ghastly exhale of agitation escaped Konoka's mouth as her jaw dropped down with disbelief…so close…SO CLOSE. Pushing herself of the wall, Konoka kept her distance from Setsuna who was still blushing while frantically breathing, hesitantly sloping her head back down as she watched Konoka with utter distraught.

In the corner of Konoka's eye as she brushed herself down, came Mana, frenziedly trembling towards them with a bleeding Makie in her arms. Makie's face was pale, and she looked exhausted…The Virus knew these symptoms…she was infected, but how was that possible! There are no infected In the building! It did not order it's infected to attack! What is going on!

Makie's faint wheezing of breath became more visible the closer she got, and both Konoka and Setsuna could feel the warmth of her body heat explode off her, as if she had a fever. She looked weak...she looked…infected, which seriously worried Setsuna as the thought of Konoka was partially blanked out when she turned her full attention to the sickening sight of Makie anxiously gasping for help.

"W-What happened!" shouted Setsuna.

Mana didn't answer at first. The dusty floorboards creaked as she screeched to a halt, sliding along the rough wooden boards and immediately slouching down, pointing Makie towards Konoka who looked rather puzzled and displeased. She huffed and puffed, making it obvious that she didn't pace herself. Looking back and forth between Setsuna and Konoka, Mana heaved Makie further up, expecting Konoka to realise straight away what was wrong, then, after gaining her breathe back, she spoke.

"Makie's has been infected with the virus! Konoka, I need you to summon your artifact and destroy the substance inside of her…quickly!" demanded Mana.

"_Why would I do such a preposterous thing?"_ Konoka's head tilted as she examined Makie's suffering…it was rather pleasant "_She looks much better like that…fools"._

"What are you waiting for!" questioned Mana, becoming angered by Konoka's slow reactions. Usually she is much more caring than this….

"_She actually expects me to shred my own being! HOW SICKENING! Gah…I have no choice…if I reject it now, they will become suspicious…I will be completely exposed to harm in such a weak form! Come now girl…what useful information revolves around your juicy knowledge? Yes…I see…a card…and you always keep it within reach…within your clothing….the pockets" _The Virus forced itself to pat around Konoka's clothing for a pouch, attempting it's best to look like a panic as it painfully found the pocket. Awkwardly sighing, it slithered her hands down her leg, sinking it into a side pocket where the card was easily obtainable…how unfortunate. Taking it's time, the virus wryly dragged the card out as raised it high, lusting the power it sets of once activated…

"_What now? A word! Human technology is petty…even with magic…the word…WHAT IS THE WORD? This….Adeat? Such a useless word to provide such immense power….how ridiculous. Why must humans trouble themselves with such simple tasks…wretched beings...they deserve to die, this girl…deserves to become one of us…Oh dear…look at me wasting time…it would be a shame if this child were to die by….by hands" _A quick smirk planted itself across Konoka's face, quickly dragging itself back into a frown before anyone else noticed the unpleasant sight "_So be it…"._

Taking a deep breathe in, Konoka began to speak.

"Adeat!" shouted Konoka.

To everyone's horror, including the virus, nothing happened. The suspense was killing them, and Makie…well…she didn't have much time left as her eyelids felt heavy, straining to close. It was hard, not slipping into conscious, because it was so unexpected, meaning that it could happen at any time. During a trip, at home, even a simple morning walk, disaster could strike at any moment and she wouldn't even realise it.

Konoka started to sweat, and to enhance the virus's fear of exposure even further, tiny glimpse of the virus were bubbled up in the tripling water sliding down Konoka's face. They were barely visible to the human eye…but neither of these…'children'…were normal. Before anyone could notice, The Virus panicked, hastily lifting it's free arm and swiping Konoka's clothing across her moist head, absorbing the black blobs of the virus and any remaining sweat.

"_ADEAT! THIS FREAKISH HELL OF NATURE ISN'T WORKING! ADEAT! ADEAT!"._

Before anything else could be done, Konoka then suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree, sprouting a snow whitish glow of aura that radiated a warm bask of care, relaxing Mana and Setsuna, and certainly relieving Makie. The air turned into gusts of calm winds, spreading outwards and waving around Setsuna and Mana's hair as Konoka looked astonished. Her eyes lit up…which was the problem. The Virus was excited, it was exposing itself…and if it wasn't for the sudden magic surge spreading throughout the healers body, Mana and Setsuna would certainly question the sudden discovery, most likely catching The Virus out.

"_Such…such amazing power! Ha ha ha! If this is what a simple healers power feels like, then the boys must be uncontrollable! Overwhelming! A haunting sight of unstoppable forces gracefully flowing through my veins! Now…to commence this…immature sequence of revival"._

Watching the expression of Mana turn from angry to anxious, The Virus knew that it didn't have long. It was now or never…and if it chose never, it would put all it's hard work to jeopardy, fiercely enraging the virus after so much…guh…human interaction that didn't involve tearing there flesh...spilling there blood…oh the temptation.

Hovering Konoka's hands over Makie, the virus hid itself from sight and closed Konoka's eyes, digging deep into the mind to find the words…to find the chant. The power was so…so distracting! It made everything so much harder to concentrate…it really did need to learn to withstand such tremendous sonic waves of energy that spreads like the virus.

Taking a deep breathe, Konoka's lips mildly opened "Let The Grace Of Jupiter Be The Cure For Your Sake!" chanted Konoka.

At that moment, quivers of magical energy escaped from Konoka's fingers, delicately spreading outwards like a sonic wave on water. The waves of magic were gold, buzzing with static that created a pattern of zigzagging along the magical lines. The glow of essence became brighter the closer it got to Makie, slowly forming a circle that twirled around Makie who was still in Mana's arms, deeply breathing with intensity as the raw power tingled her fragile skin. Then, the circle closed, making a thwarting sound as the beam of energy inserted itself into Makie.

Mana could feel the passionate energy slice through her hands, penetrating her own essence and warping into Makie who was squirming around with fuzziness. Inside, the warm magic eradicated any signs of the flowing virus, engulfing the black substance and shredding the cells one by one, disintegrating any live particle that was threatening Makie. Makie would wheeze out a few groans, feeling ticklish as the evaporated magic escaped through her mouth and nostrils, floating high into the air and becoming apart of nature.

"It is done…" whispered Konoka.

Makie was cured…and The Virus didn't like it. Swiping itself away and turning Konoka's back to them, The Virus attempted to escape direct contact, grunting with ignorance as she trotted through the narrow hallway where the infuriating response of Mana calling out to her annoyed The Virus. "Thank you Konoka" she smiled…yes…that's it…keep smiling…for there will be many…many opportunities before Setsuna's influenced body will become The Virus's. Until then…enjoy that smile…because it intends on wiping it off, one way or another.

Before Setsuna could confront Konoka about the earlier…occurrence, she was gone, slyly walking up the stairs where she disappeared. It made Setsuna frown…but it then hit her…there was still one problem roaming the building…

"The undead…" whispered Setsuna, looking back to Mana who rested Makie's head against her lap. She was going to be just…fine.

_

* * *

_

Kaede strolled along the first floor, cautiously creeping through the narrow hallway which…wasn't particularly safe, seeing as the infected could jump out at her at any time. She was have little room to escape, to dodge, to attack…and meddling with something so…so vicious, so determined to never give up, it was a risk she was going to have to take.

There were many steep turns that were unavoidable, and with such little light gloaming through the hallways, it didn't help. No shadows, no light source, it just created a horrific atmosphere of fear that floated in the air like flies, buzzing around Kaede and never going away, no matter how many times you swiped. All doors were closed, which was reasonable, if any of the girls had opened the door and met an…demoralizing fate, then the door would have surely been open. Not only that, but the screams would have easily been heard. It was good to know that no one was in harms way…yet, but that wont last long. Morning is coming, and waking up to an undead roaming the building wont be pretty.

Gruesome would be another word, but Kaede wasn't ready to think of such possibilities. She wouldn't allow it, that meant risking her life! At times, she would hear a scuffle brush across the floor behind her, forcing Kaede to hastily turn with suspense as her eyes scanned the darkened hallway, only to reveal nothing. It was all in her head…there was no way such a creature could come up behind someone such as herself so quickly and unsociably, she skills were far to great to make a costly mistake like that.

Wearily turning back and nearing the end of the hall, Kaede reached the last turn, which in a way was good and bad. The good reason was because she hadn't encountered the fleshless beats…the bad reason, it also meant that the chances of meeting it here was…substantial.

Then, a worrying sight. Eerily staining the corner of the wall was slops of mutilated blood. The sight wasn't pretty as gunk's of bubbling fluids creased the wall, inserting itself into the small patterns of lines that burrowed the blood deeper, keeping it relatively hidden once in the dark. It was wet, slimy and dripping down onto the floor, leaving a mild puddle of dark blood that Kaede couldn't tell if it was fresh or rotten…what she could tell though, was that it was infected. What was worst was the smell…it was awful, scenting the area of rotting flesh and arterialised salvia, merging into the blood and creating more disgusting slops. The pathway of blood seemed to sickly scrape itself along the wall, creating a trail of ghastly blood that nauseatingly created a squirming sound as the blobs continued to screech along the wall.

Kaede blandly raised her arm, covering her nose with the fresh smell of washed robes that was freshly scented with washing liquid, but even so, the smell was still strong enough to fuse with the scent, making the awry smell slowly disintegrate as it tore through the threads. Kaede's eyes widened, she need a full frontal view, which was going to be tricky since taking cover behind the wall was no longer an option thanks to the spoilt blood. If she was going to succeed, she was going to have to do it right.

The floorboards creaked, perking Kaede's ears up as it alerted her of a presence. The long squeak echoed around her, causing Kaede to grind her teeth as the discovery raced her heartbeat up, pounding against her chest as she realised that something was approaching. It was now or never…

Without a second thought, without hesitation, Kaede jolted herself around the corner, pushing her steady feet against the floor and curling her around the corner where she raised both hands high as she prepared to strike. Looking down, Kaede halted her breathing as the existence of something was reality…but it wasn't an infected.

"Mmm?" her eye's buttoned up with fascination "Kaede, you seem rather resilient in that pose" smirked the humorously tempted martial arts girl "I don't suppose you're looking for the source of this blood?" asked Ku Fei, willingly creating a joke out of the situation.

"Ku Fei…I'm glad it was just you De Gozaru, you had me concerned just then" sighed Kaede, lowering her arms.

"Me?" her eyebrows rose as she looked rather offended. He finger directly pointed towards her cheek as the buttoned face continued "Concerned? Hehe, that takes some real talent to do that" winked Ku Fei.

"Nin nin, what did you mean by blo-" Kaede's sentence was slaughtered one she looked behind Ku Fei. The floor was absolutely scarred with a tremendous amount of blood, splattered across not only the floor, but the ceiling and walls, poorly dripping of and slumping onto the floor. It all looked as if the blood was puked up…and if that source of blood came from here…then the blood covering the corner must have meant that the infected walked down that pathway, also meaning that Kaede had missed it! The shuffling noises wasn't her imagination…she was being followed, stalked, hunted!

The reunion didn't last long as both Kaede and Ku Fei heard growls drifting past there ears, followed by the irritating sound of wings buzzing, as if something…dead….was in the air. Kaede took a step back, giving Ku Fei access to the middle hallway as both of there heads worryingly redirected themselves towards the sound. It was pitch black, with barley any light…it was a wonder how Kaede had made it through there so easily. Then again, training to live in the dark must have improved her eyesight dramatically.

A fleshless leg mourned itself out of the darkness, revealing the greenish glow of the bone that made Ku Fei gulp and Kaede frantically blink with disgust. The long pointy nose of the creature poked out, dragging itself along the dusty floor and fiercely sniffing around the floor, picking up Kaede's sweetening scent. The creature growled as it's lips quivered with aggression, revealing it's red stained razor sharp teeth that had bits of flesh stuck in-between them.

The loudness of the growls increase, quickly turning into barks. Blood prints dented the wooden floorboards as the creature sneakily approached Kaede and Ku Fei, revealing itself to be an infected dog as a mixture of sticky black fur and reddish rotting flesh covered the entire hound, making both Kaede and Ku Fei's stomach churn.

"I…I don't suppose you knew that this thing was a mutt…did you?" asked Ku Fei, slowly raising her guard.

"I was as clueless as you….we have nowhere to run, nowhere to dodge. We need to make our first shot count" revealed Kaede, worryingly.

The infected dogs speed increased, turning from sloppy walking into fast paced running, wildy approaching Kaede and Ku Fei as blood unravelled itself like skin, splattering everywhere as the dog howled with instinct.

Before any of them could interact, a familiar voice appeared beside them, down the hallway that neither Ku Fei of Kaede had checked. The voice was rough and unappealing, and above the voice was an unappetising attitude as Kaede was forcefully pushed away, into Ku Fei were they both staggered out the way.

"Out the way…" growled Tankins, one hand pushing against Kaede's arm as the other aimed his weapon down by his hip, trigger finger at the ready.

With a smile on his face, Tankins unleashed his fury, satisfyingly pushing down the trigger and spraying the infected dog with a barrage of bullets that all entered the frontal view of the hound, entering the already rotting skin and lodging itself in either the brain, legs or face. The bullets continued, clipping the golden metal onto the floor as heat radiated of them…and Tankins enjoyed every last bit of it as he smirked, quietly laughing under his own breathe as the infected dog whined with sorrow, slumping to the floor and skidding along the wooden floorboards until it grinded to a halt. The only sound now was the clicking of Tankins weapon, indicating that it was out of ammo, but he didn't care. In his mind, the bullets were unlimited and the tidal wave of pain continue to conflict itself onto the infected dog.

Eventually his finger tightly slipped away from the trigger, lightly positioning itself on the side of the gun as smoke emerged from the bullet hole, withering into the air. Tankins turned with pleasantness, giving a sinister smile of craziness as he glared at Kaede.

"You're welcome" chuckled Tankins, so proud of himself.

* * *

**Here's chapter 11 for your enjoyment!**

**The Virus has healed Makie, but with regret! What sinister plans does it have in store for Setsuna! As for Tankins...well, he seems to be enjoying himself...a little too much.**

**Just to let everyone know, I am currently writing a christmas story called "Secret Santa" which involves three different couples. NegiXNodoka, SetsunaXKonoka and KotaroXNatsumi. As for a little fun side plot, please go onto my profile and vote on the poll that decides which student should have Mana as there secret santa! It will add a mystery to the story in which will be revealed at the end, showing who was picked and what Mana present Mana gave that specific person!**

**Any reviews and votes will be appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	12. The Problomatic Escape Plan

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday 4:30AM - The Balcony**

"Mana…we can't stay here" informed Kaede, who lingered over the balcony, looking down at the sickening hordes of infected that groaned at there presence.

The sight was unethical, but soothing at the same time as the thought of being out of reach from the monstrous creatures eased the pain of watching…of studying the deformed beings…and yet they continued to stretch out their arms…they continue to stare at the juiciness of Mana and Kaede, as if they were a few feet away. It only hurt more when Kaede was reminded that the dumb creatures were once humans, survivors, painfully taken away from there essence of life that balanced out they way the reacted.

A virus…a simple black liquid that turns sane humans into out of control beasts that tear the flesh of both the dead and living…caused the outbreak, the panic of billions, the death of millions! Only for them to be incarnated into an outer ego and pure evil, or certain distraught. To have other people's blood run down your mouth…to sink your teeth into innocent victims…you really have to be dead not to be bothered by such inhumane actions.

Kaede patiently awaited an answer. She leaned down, crossing both arms into each other and slouching them on top of the splintered balcony for support as she willingly remained silent, continuing to watch the lifeless beings before them. Although her response wasn't spoken while looking at Mana, she was fully aware that the black widow received the message. The horrible feeling of failure radiated of Mana, burning the fibre of the positive atmosphere that withered around them like a bad smell.

Mana breathed in deeply before exhaling hard, sighing with depression. Her eyesight blankly stared out into the open world, watching a chain black clouds that represented the living of The First float high above them. Mana repeatedly tapped her clenched fist onto the surface of the railings, gently connecting her knuckles onto the wood and creating an infuriating clanking sound that Kaede preferred be kept to a minimum.

Kotaro was in possession of The First, where the black substance travelled through his veins, slowly flowing into his organs and muscles where it enhanced itself to not only justify itself within Kotaro, but to BECOME the wolf boy. The Virus crept throughout the hotel, undetected…interfering with an innocent students life. It was all going to hell, and that's what made responding to Kaede's comment so difficult, because she was right. After so much work, so much effort, death, suffering, things were as worse as ever. What to do…when…how…and for once…Mana was speechless to reply.

She lifted her shoulders as if to shrug, but then shuffled them around, attempting to comfort herself as the constant aches that bruised around Mana's delicate body pounded against her soft skin. Slowly, her head rotated towards Kaede where she began to watch the unbelievably calm girl. The sight caused Mana to twitch as she observed Kaede, her calmness, quietness…how could she possibly hide it from someone as professional as herself?

The truth was…Kaede was almost as bad as Mana. She was scared, worried, and worst of all, doubtful, that success was even an option anymore. Her eyes cringed as the unethical sound of teeth grinding together was all that could be heard, only to be taken over with the furious gusts of scorched winds that overwhelmed there scents with rotting flesh and a strange smell that neither of them wanted to discover personally.

Kaede slyly turned where her eyes met with Mana. She witnessed Mana give her a small, nervous smile of comfort that slightly perked up Kaede, only to shrink back down into a worried frown. It was understandable, attempting to remain positive around others, but it didn't convince Kaede the slightest as she watched Mana's head slope down with disappointment, where she studied the dirty floor without a care.

"I know Kaede…" her voice trembled with fear "I know" replied Mana as she looked back up at Kaede, brushing one hand along the railings while doing so. Slight twinkles of dust escaped the wooden surface, floating high into the air and swaying towards Kaede's nostrils where she began to sniffle with discomfort.

Both became quiet again, infuriatingly listening to the echoes of moans and groans that surrounded them. Kaede frantically blinked twice and took a step back, pushing herself away from the railings, Of course Mana knew…everyone knew, the problem was, how were they going to get over thirty students safely away from the hotel…it seemed impossible.

"What do you propose we do De Gozaru?" asked Kaede.

Unexpectedly, Mana fiercely turned, facing her back towards Kaede where her long, flowing her swayed with her until it softly leaned against her back again. Whether it was an act of depression, where Mana wanted to hide her expressions, or just a simple phase of bother that caused her to act in such a rude way, Kaede didn't react offended for both there sake's. She heard a long sigh escape Mana's mouth before her breaking voice was heard.

"That is the least of my worries" informed Mana "There are much more pressing matters that need solving" Mana's head slyly turned to the side, catching a glimpse of Kaede over her shoulder "I trust you already know what I'm talking about".

"You're referring to The Virus?" answered Kaede.

"Yes…even now it hide's away in one of the students, waiting to strike. And yet here we are, doing nothing about it because there is a very limited choice of options on what we can actually do that doesn't affect the sane level of the students themselves" explained Mana.

"That's not true De Gozaru. All we have to do is reminisce the past events. Who do we know have been outside the building premises?" asked Kaede.

"There's Kotaro, but with The First in his system, we can cross him of the list. Even if we do make contact, there is no reasoning with that monster" notified Mana.

"T-Then that leaves…" Kaede's eyes sharply widened as the obvious answer appeared. She gasped, before revealing her verdict "Fuuka and Fumika…" whispered Kaede.

"Wait" Mana diagonally turned, side stepping away where her hip faced Kaede. One hand slapped itself across her thigh as her stance improved, looking more majestic and serious "Let's not jump to conclusions. Who else do we know have entered this building once the infection started again?" questioned Mana.

Kaede paused for a moment, wearily opening her mouth where her dehydrated lips eerily unstuck themselves as she began to think. Her eyes sloped down for a moment, only to quickly shoot back up at Mana when the answer hit her like a train.

"The soldiers…Lilason and Tankins!" shouted Kaede.

"Precisely. We know very little about both of them, but surely Tankins would have the decency to be grateful for us saving him. Orders or no orders, only someone…or something, could hold a grudge that bad against us if we had actually caused it's suffering. That's when The Virus come's in…" explained Mana.

"It's a possibility De Gozaru, but didn't he save Fuuka and Fumika's life? Surely Lilason would have taken full responsibility if she was involved. Why would The Virus save the students of it's enemies? " replied Kaede.

"True…very true. We need to remember that this Virus is far more intelligent than we had anticipated. Didn't you say that Tankins showed signs of going insane earlier, with the infected incident?" asked Mana.

"Indeed…he rather enjoyed slaughtering the vicious creature that lurked through the building. It was a disturbing sight, but that only supports the statement that he is innocent. Even The Virus would cringe at it's own demise caused by it's own hands" answered Kaede.

"Even so, no soldier would leave the entrance unguarded without knowledge that everything was secure…this is becoming a problem. Can we trust him even if The Virus isn't in his system?" replied Mana.

Without warning, a sudden sensation eerily began to pry itself within Mana. The feeling of being watched lurked around them, quickly followed by mild footsteps that grew louder each second. Mana's eyes directed themselves to the left, where an outline of a figure became exposed. Both her and Kaede turned together, witnessing the heavily equipped Lilason creep through the doorway where the sudden stares startled her. She stumbled on the spot, swinging her hips around with unbalance as a loud gulp was detected from her, as if she was nervous…but then again, she had a reason to be. After leaving her post at the entrance, it was partially her fault for the tragic incident that had occurred earlier, it was no wonder she was weary at the sight of them.

The sinister glares continued, making Lilason stutter with discomfort. Her head swayed to the side, causing the silkiness of her hair follow as it brushed along her smooth skin and flickered in front of her eyes. Lilason reached up with her palm, lusciously colliding the back of her cold fingers with flowing threads that dangled around, pushing them away and behind her ears where she revealed her perfectly formed facial posture. She grunted, clearing her throat before looking back over to Mana.

"Listen….uh, Mana? Is it?" her comment was more of a knowledgably guess rather than an actual question "I heard what happened earlier, with the girl and the infe-" Lilason was quickly cut off

"Makie…" snarled Mana "her names Makie" she informed Lilason, finding the definition 'girl' rather disrespectful.

Lilason blinked twice with suspense…being interrupted like that by someone who really should be taking orders from her was agitating, to say the least. This was a school student, they were all students! And yet they had managed to survive the chaos and gained control over two heavily armed soldiers from the Self Defence Force…the irony.

"R-Right…I wanted to apologize for…you know, leaving my post. I was so caught up with Tankins that I had no consideration for the consequences that put everyone in danger. As much as I don't want to, I take full responsibility over what has happened" Lilason paused for a moment, expecting a response from either Kaede or Mana, but both still glared, giving Lilason the opportunity to speak again "So…how is she? Makie, I mean" asked Lilason.

"She's sleeping right now, but I can imagine that she's going to be in a state of shock when waking up" answered Mana, attempting to build up the guilt already weighing Lilason down.

"Oh…" whispered Lilason . She watched Mana turn to the railings where she sloped over the side, looking back down at the hordes of groaning infected. Sighing, she turned to Kaede, who had a more reasonable look on her face, as if she understood what Lilason was going through. She looked left, then right, before looking back at Kaede again who surprisingly gave her an innocent smile of grief. Lilason twitched before responding "Well…I better go" she whispered.

The strap along Lilason's chest began to stretch, roughly scourging across her green and black camouflaged fabric and creating by a scorching feeling of burning heat that was produced by the squeamish friction as she raised her heavy gun high above her shoulder, showing of the magnificent piece of weaponry. The large weight unbalanced Lilason, sloping her down to one side and making her movements uneven while putting pressure on her already aching shoulder as she began to turn.

Her bagged eyes closed with disappointment while taking the first heavy step. She hadn't slept in days because of the constant drills, the continuous screams from innocent victims, shortly followed by echoes of gunfire that silenced the cries for help. Every second a new worry was formed, only to be replaced with more gunfire…it seemed that violence was the only solution now. There was no cure, and no sign of the infection dimming. Now with the new knowledge of…a Virus and…The First, it really shortened Lilason's hope of survival.

Another step, Lilason budged past the narrow doorway, slightly turning herself diagonally to squeeze through the small gap available thanks for the large equipment she wore. Experiencing the thick, rotting, cold air suddenly disperse and change into a warm bask of oxygen as she entered the building, a familiar voice trembled, gasping out Lilason's name in a panic before calmly asking her to "Wait!". She froze, perking up with fascination as her eyes sharply opened. She hesitantly turned, faulting halfway and trembling around before regaining any senses that allowed her to continue. Redirecting her sight towards both protectors, she was quick enough to watch Mana turn to Kaede with suspense as she stumbled forward with oppression.

"Please, wait" requested Kaede, sounding rather distraught "Do you mind if we ask you some questions De Gozaru?" her face cringed, as if worried that she may get rejected.

"Ah…" Lilason paused. Her? Questions? What could she possibly provide that Tankins hadn't already explained "I…I suppose" accepted Lilason, relieving Kaede.

During the tense moment, Lilason could only watch, detecting the slight discomfort between her and Mana as a mild mumble escaped Mana's mouth towards Kaede while fiercely grasping onto the calm girls wrist and jerking it high. It was hard to understand, and even Lilason, an experienced listener thanks to being shouted at day after day, was sceptical at the rather insulting comment as she had trouble breaking through the short whispers the shrouded the actual comment. She confirmed a few words, connecting them together and spelling out the sentence "What do you think you are doing?".

The two began their own conversation, leaving Lilason to reminisce what just happened. She looked back and forth between Kaede and Mana, sometimes flinching at the tone used as if they were fighting. Although, if she were Mana, she wouldn't want to start a conversation with the person who risked everyone's life over a personal problem with Tankins, who to be honest, didn't deserve so much attention…if only she had realised that sooner.

Scowling around, she couldn't help but gulp loudly, hoping to catch the attention of either of them, only to fail. Eventually, worries turned to frustration and Lilason began to grow impatient, quickly showing signs of boredom and annoyance. She heavily sighed, rolling her plentiful blue eyes back with ignorance as she began fidgeting around with her index finger. Being positioned in one spot caused the heat to remain in place, causing her fingers to become drenched in uncomforting sweat and produce an infuriation sensation of itching. Her finger carefully rubbed up against the trigger, sliding and curling along the hard surface to satisfy the irritating feeling.

"Ok" suddenly sighed Mana "We'll try it" she said out loud, turning her sight to Lilason while doing so.

"Try what?" perked up Lilason, attempting to look bothered by the fact that she was just an experiment to them "What's going on?" she asked, sounding more serious.

Mana conveniently bit her tongue, pressing her white teeth hard against the fragile taste buds that buzzed with saliva. She was still sceptical at trusting the Self Defence Force, let alone Lilason…but Kaede insisted that this was the perfect opportunity to discover more about Tankins, if he really was a jerk or if The Virus simply caused the mood swings from angry to considerate to just plain insane. Who knows what kind of mutation The Virus could do once inside a vital organ such as the brain…going insane would seem improbable if not possible with The Virus lurking through your veins.

She turned to Kaede, who gave her a comforting nod that supported the statement that this was the right thing to do. After all, what could one soldier do if they discover that The Virus could be in her team mate? She had shown rather…unusual…signs that all pointed to ditching him in the first place.

Turning back, her flaring eyes connected with Lilason's, who both began to stare with awkwardness…were they friends or enemies? Either way, they weren't enjoying it. For Mana, the fact that the Self Defence Force decided to send help now, days after the actual disaster, was really showing great disrespect. And now look, both soldiers were taking refugee in the hotel, seeking protection from the very students they meant to protect.

Slowly, Mana began to walk, clanking her heavy black boots across the stone floor covered in dirt and dust. Lilason, being herself, showed no sign of worry, or fear, but instead remained on the spot, awaiting the questions she was about to receive. Inches away now, Mana halted herself, bringing a heavy burden of frustration that Lilason herself felt. Taking a deep breathe in, Mana's jaw lowered, followed by a small hum, as if she had just forgetting what she was about to say. Then, she spoke.

"Listen carefully" surprisingly, her tone was calm and soothing, catching Lilason by surprised "I don't know if you are aware, but The Virus is in the building" informed Mana.

"Uh…Virus?" She tilted her head, making it obvious that she was confused "Oh…yes" suddenly remembered Lilason, not sounding rather excited "What has that got to do with me?".

Mana lips quivered as she tutted "We…" She put a lot of emphasis on the word 'we' as it outstretched itself. Mana turned back to Kaede who continued to watch from afar, predicting all kind of reactions that could happen. She turned back to Lilason "We suspect that The Virus may have control over Tankins. It may be taking shelter and hiding itself within his system…would you agree that his personality has split itself into sections and completely changed from his original being?" now only realising what she just said, even her own response confused herself "To put it simply, has Tankins been acting different?" Longley questioned Mana.

Lilason's eyebrows raised as her face became puzzled. One eye slightly twitched, madly opening and closing as if progressing an answer. Her free arm quickly shot up, sliding along her peachey cheek and using her sharp nails to scrape along the smooth surface with intrusion. Was it an action of shock, or the simple 'What the hell are you talking about?' motion.

"You can't blame the man" suddenly replied Lilason "Losing his team, failing the mission, of course his mood is going to change. I'm not saying he's usually jumping with joy, but grumpy and serious is his way of saying 'Back off or else'. I seriously doubt this…'Virus' could take Tankins so easily" replied Lilason.

"You'd be surprised" quickly responded Mana.

"Either way, Tankins has acted no different around me…which isn't exactly a plus since he's such a bastard to both you and me" smirked Lilason.

"Heh" Mana smiled back. The fact that Lilason also hated Tankins brought joy to her life. Besides…Lilason quit The Self Defence Force…right? Therefore…she is practically one of them now "I guess you and me can get along at times" chuckled Mana, croaking a humorous tune of laughter as she swayed herself back towards the balcony where she shovelled herself over the edge, looking down at the infected again while her flowing hair quickly followed, gracefully blowing in the winds.

At that moment, the sudden discomfort the homed around the atmosphere evaporated, quickly replaced with the ignorant feeling of desperation that poured out of Mana. Lilason ran her tongue along her sparkling teeth, sucking hard while doing so and producing a squirmy sound of squeaking that was barely detectable. Seeing Mana so…exposed, after all this time seemed…unnatural, it surprisingly bothered her.

Truth was…she had heard the earlier conversation, about leaving the area. While creeping up the stairs, the faint echoes of Kaede and Mana's voices vibrated towards her. Using her training, Lilason was able to go undetected and leeched herself to the wall, silently sliding along the yellow chipped paint until reaching the edge of the doorway, where she began to listen closely. Every word was heard, about leaving, about Tankins…the whole 'clueless act' was just a charade to keep suspicions to a minimum…learning that someone you were unsure about listened in on your conversation wouldn't exactly be brilliant.

Lilason took a rough step forward, stomping her foot hard into the stone in attempt to get Mana's attention. Kaede had been watching the whole time, as if she knew Lilason's little trick she had performed, which only tightened the situation. If Kaede already knew, then that was one less person to explain it too. The immense coldness shivered down Lilason's spine, giving her a tingled sensation and causing her to straighten up without hesitation.

"Hey…I have an idea if you're interested" her fingers started to fidget like a child, aurally tugged on the velvet strap that strained itself across her chest. Once Mana fragrantly tilted her head to the side, revealing one side of her glowing beauty, Lilason knew that she had taken interest "About leaving this place…you know, everyone, safely" notified Lilason, attempting to add the weigh the positives on her side.

Whether she was dejected, or just unable to answer, Mana sealed her lips and looked back over to the soaring sunrise that beautifully glistened with a misty orange. It reflected of her eyes, causing them to twinkle as if about to cry. Deep down, she was disturbed beyond all repair. All this…everything…no matter what they did, things just seemed to get worse and more dangerous. Escape! Leaving there home? Destroying everything they hard worked for, they had died for! It was a dreading thought…but the students came first, which was the problem. Mana wasn't being held back by the worry of escaping…the tactics, the safety…no…she was worried by something far worse….betrayal. Escape was possible for ALMOST everyone.

"What did you have in mind De Gozaru?" asked Kaede, taking Mana's place.

Lilason grinned and quickly tapped her feet along the floor, rushing over to the balcony where she joined Mana and Kaede lingering over the edge. Mana ignored her movements, but a loud, sticky scratching sound stretched itself as Lilason began to pull on one of her sewed on pouches that sat along the side of her chest. Lifting the top part up, she began plummeting her palm into the deep hole, quickly clutching onto an object that became useful in many situations.

She pulled hard, dragging out a fancy pair of black binoculars that gleamed brightly through the glass thanks to the rising sun. The top of the binoculars showed signs of foul play, having the initials 'LW' or better known as Lilason Walkers messily carved into the metal. She raised it high, pressing both eye sockets into the accurate holes that increased the range of sight. She scoped the area, scanning the scenery until she spotted the destination she looked for.

"There!" she pulled the binoculars away and immediately pushed it towards Kaede, prodding it into her delicate arm until she accepted the binoculars "I noticed them during the rush to get here, with the mysterious pathway" informed Lilason.

Kaede didn't hesitate to look through the simple yet impressive technology. Gently placing the binoculars on top of her freezing nose, she focused on where Lilason was now pointing, revealing to be two school buses.

"Looks like they all bailed once this thing started" Lilason sounded proud now "It looks like there is enough space to fit everyone in. If we can get those buses safely, we can make our way out of the city with ease. From there on, we can travel on the roads until we reach the HQ we came from. Simple, right?" smirked Lilason.

"No…" instantly replied Mana "It's not that simple. No matter what plan we come up with, no matter how safe and secure it is, me and the students have the same problem every time" Mana went silent as one hand dragged itself along her face, starting from the forehead and stretching out her skin until it covered her mouth where a distressing groan was released. She looked past Lilason and turned to Kaede, who looked slightly confused. Her eyes sloped down with guilt, where a long sigh quickly followed as Mana began to mumbled a whisper. "We may be able to escape….but…" Her eyes shot open as her eyes met with Kaede "Evangeline can't" revealed Mana, allowing the stress of everything flow out like a stream of water.

* * *

**Finally, here's chapter 12!**

**I apologize for this chapter not being as exciting. To be honest, I only enjoyed writing the first half of this chapter. I feel like i'm rushing things. What do you guys think? Any reviews will be very kind, mainly because I have only just overcome writers block and I want to see if my work still entertains people, but also because I rather hated this chapter and feel that it may bore my fans.**

**I promise that chapter 13 should be a little more interesting. And chapter 14 will contain a lot of action, where the mayhem begins again!**

**Any reviews will be appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	13. The Conditions Of Surviving

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday 4:37AM - The Balcony**

It was a gathering. One by one, the protectors were informed on the situation at hand, that a plan was being formed…a plan to leave. There was much more to it though, it wasn't just about escaping, it was a choice that needed to be made. Leave Evangeline, or think of something else and further risk the vulnerability of the students and the safety around them that could only last so long.

Almost everyone was there. Each of them sorely cramped around one another, attempting to remain in one spot while putting a hard effort to keep themselves within the group boundaries so they could be seen and heard. It was an uncomfortable position, having the skin and clothing of others frustratingly rub against the natural silkiness of your skin while having the growing urge to itch thanks to the dramatic increase in warmth surrounding them. Perhaps the balcony wasn't the most responsible location to meet. Even so, no one complained, simply because complaining was the worst thing to do in the current situation. Mana's distressing looks of exhaustion was easily detectable, causing her to be the centre of attention as she slouched down and drowsily leaned against the wall, arms crossed while she felt her own eyelids become heavy. Blue bags were easily recognisable as they sunk under her eyes, puffing up with knackered roundness.

To everyone's surprise, Tankins was apart of the group, mildly keeping his distance from everyone else with a mixture of hatred and disappointment. Once told about the emergency meeting, Tankins became overwhelmed with temptation that he just had to tag along. Watching the people he loathed express the awful situation they were in would be pleasurable, letting them admit that they were in trouble. Around the convulsive square box that had the unsatisfying stench of rotting flesh whistling through the air, Tankins patiently waited in the corner, sloping his head down without a care as he ran his thumb over the safety button attached to his weapon, sliding it back and forth as he fiddled around to amuse himself. He would noticeably sigh with irritation every now and then, making it obvious that he was attempting to wind the others up as the radiation of long stares burned onto him with scorching heat.

A silent shiver of coldness suddenly pried itself into the area, engulfing any sign of emotional wellbeing that affected the surrounding survivors, only to be replaced with nothingness. A calm and gentle footstep patted itself against the cold, stone surface on the balcony, causing the dust around it to lightly lift up and slowly sink back down to the ground like a feather. Everyone turned to the doorway, including Tankins, who faltered to lift his black glasses high above his forehead, where it became entangled in his flattened hair thanks to the red beret he wore. His eyebrows quickly shot up, surprised at what he was witnessing. It wasn't just Tankins who were verdantly surprised, Negi, Kaede, even Takamichi shed a twitch of suspense as his jaw sloppily dropped.

In the open doorway, not seeming too bothered by the glazing glares, stood the relatively quiet Zazie. She majestically leaned on one side, lifting and bending one arm up so that her palm firmly pushed against the wall, keeping her balanced and upright. Her other hand leeched itself onto her smooth, outstretched lap, warily rubbing her fingers a few inches back and forth as if itching. The clothing she wore was eerily similar to that of the school uniform. The colours, the patterns, it matched the red chequered clothing perfectly. Not only that, but the mutilated blood stains remained, the roughly torn fabric continued to hang off, revealing slight graces and bruises from her delicate skin…it was as if she had never changed in the first place. In fact, Zazie was rarely seen throughout the hotel, as if she remained hidden away for a justified purpose that neither of them knew about, or would even understand.

What was most surprising to everyone though, was the unexpected facial changes of the mysterious girl. Not only was she having trouble keeping her eyes half open as the bags under them overlapped and dragged them down, but the accurately position facial paint that Zazie was never seen without had been chipped away, leaving nothing but barely visible blue and red dots that struggled to hang on. The blue tear that was once bright and fully recognisable had been reduced to a simple crooked scratch mark of inaccurate chips, as if blue paint had just been splattered across her face and left a poker dot facial patterned marking. The red line them ran across Zazie's eye had been despicably erased, leaving nothing but the paleness of Zazie's purified skin. Zazie looked worse than Mana, and yet it was still unknown to how that was possible. Lack of sleep perhaps? Zazie wasn't the one to show emotions…but even she couldn't hide the exhaustion buried into her expression.

Zazie took another unbalanced step, continuing to use the wall for support as her plentiful hair swayed with her, loutishly swinging back and forth. She joined the group, skimming past Negi and Takamichi who worryingly took a step back, allowing Zazie to squeeze in without any trouble.

Mana, who rested her elbows on the wooden railings of the balcony with her back turned to the horrific dead scenery, continued to watch the weary movements of Zazie. She was tired, they were all tired…each one receiving the consequences of going on 24 hour watches right after having the immense fight with The First without resting. It was their choice though, and they all decided that it would be best.

Mana sniffled, rustling her nose around as if about to sneeze. Her head drastically lowered as one hand slowly lifted itself high, where she used her unsteady thumb and index finger to pinch the top of her freezing nose, beside the eyes dulled down tear ducts. She rubbed hard, hoping to keep herself awake while the desperate desire of sleep floated around every single one of them like dust, hastily being absorbed. The dryness in her throat become irritating, becoming a huge burden in talking because of the discomfort received. She grunted, clearing her dehydrated throat before swaying her eyes around everyone, making sure they were all here. Her lips unstuck as her jaw opened.

"I think we can all agree…" there was a short pause as Mana sighed "that this event has taken a tremendous toll on all of us" she stared at Tankins while exclaiming the words 'all of us'.

The majority of them swiftly nodded, slowly shaking their heads up and down with slushiness as if being controlled like puppets, where as Tankins merely hummed an aggressive tone, annoyed to admit that Mana was…partially right. Even he, the great Tankins! Could barely adjust himself to walk properly without looking like a one of those…things.

"What are you getting at?" growled Tankins "What's so important that meeting up like this was required? As we speak, we could all be resting rather than listening to your weak voice croak out a few words".

They all glared at him with ignorance, wondering why he was even there. Lilason simply shook her head, dispersing her disbelief that even when agreeing with Mana, Tankins still manages to be a complete idiot to them. With his glasses still slumped across his forehead, his brown eyes were exposed, showing signs of heavy exhaustion and tiredness while his pupils dilated from the scolding sun that was slowly rising each second that passed, which was the exact opposite of what Tankins wanted them to think. He jerked his head back, hitting it hard against the plain white wall where he proceeded to turn, keeping his face hidden while still catching a small glimpse of Mana and everyone else.

"As I was saying" Mana's voice softly echoed around them, getting everyone's attention and allowing them to turn back to her. The fact that she ignored Tankins caused Lilason to grin "We have a serious situation on our hands that needs everyone's opinion" informed Mana.

"Is everything ok?" quickly intervened Negi, detectably worried about the current situation "You seem restless Mana, is something troubling you?" he politely asked.

Negi's voice was weak, becoming a gentle whisper that withered across the thick air where Mana numbingly received the concerned response. The sound dimmed…only to become a affable wind that screamed right through Mana. The whisper suddenly turned into painful screeches, all calling out violent phrases that surrounded Mana, softly illuminating around her hesitant mind and quickly growing into sore aches of pain. Her blurry vision became less visible, slowly becoming darker with each passing second as the scenery before her started to melt, sloppily dripping away.

Mana's breathing increased, deeply inhaling the bacterial winds that floated around her, around everyone where she loudly exhaled a murky shroud of condensation, shortly followed by a faint gasp that became easily detectable towards everyone. What was happening? A possible side affect from exhaustion? A sudden action of desperate pleads for her to rest? No…not now, she needed to stay awake, at least until the verdict was decided.

Feeling light headed, Mana pushed herself away from the railings, hazily turning herself diagonally where her chitterling fingers slumped onto the wooden surface, taking a weak but secure grip as her head slouched down, causing her black, luscious hair to follow where it dangle across her face, blocking most of her view. Her other hand faltered to lift itself, struggling to even twitch as Mana forcibly provoked it up high, where her cold palms softly interacted with her scorching hot forehead, partially covering her left eye. The sensation of closing her eyes felt wonderful, but the eerie voice of Kaede blandly called out her name in a deep and dark tone that lazily outstretched itself…at least, that was how Mana's mind had imagined it, kept her conscious.

Her eyes stretched up as Mana dragged her hand down from her forehead, covering her mouth as she began to examine her surroundings. The engulfing feeling of nausea churned in Mana's stomach, making her silently gag while once again hearing the oozing sounds of familiar voices, all spinning around her in circles. Her mind swiftly drifted, dizzily swaying her head across the small area where her friends became fuzzy images that initially faded into one another. Still, the loud screeching buzzing around her ears scornfully blistered, where Mana could feel her legs tremble, causing her sight to remain on Lilason who concurringly leaned against the wall by the doorway, easily looking almost as fazed as everyone else to what was going on.

A grappled shunt bashed onto Mana's right shoulder, crippling the erotic source of the mysterious attempts of feebleness that controversially flowed through Mana like a ghost. It dispersed like air, evacuating Mana's systems where her temperature and senses regained full control, easing the woozy feeling that had Mana stunned. To withstand slipping out of conscious really takes a lot of effort, and Mana was even amazed by her own actions on staying awake in the current state she was in.

As she heaved her head back towards the side, Mana perceived the lightly coloured skin of Kaede hover above the air, gliding along the smoothness of the winds as the arm remained accurately straight, slithering past Mana's neck where it held a constricted grip on her shoulder. The colours of purple and blue mixed together postponed Mana in a thought of hallucination, completely unaware that it was just the skilfully patterned wrist bands that Kaede wore. Mana frantically blinked, as if shocked to what unfolded before her. It was obvious Kaede had worried about Mana's actions and grasped her shoulder for attention, to see if she was fully functional., and yet it was still a surprising sight. Scanning the arm like a robot, Mana wearily stretched her eyesight along the arm until it reached an outline of Kaede, which narrowly began to dizzily sway inwards, morphing into another outline of Kaede that this time remained. The light and calm words of "Are you ok De Gozaru?" softly whispered away from Kaede's lips, alerting Mana to the situation at hand.

Mana frantically blinked twice, feeling herself regain control as if possessed. While doing so, Kaede noted the change in Mana's fractional changes. From becoming positively determined to speak, to struggling to even stand, to dazed and confused, it was an exact match to stress taking over. Mana was working too hard, she needed to rest, and Kaede could only watch as Mana's eyes slipped into Kaede's where they both connected. The dilation of her pupils uncontrollably shifted, madly growing and shrinking for mere moments before finally freezing, notifying Kaede that Mana was back to normal.

Mana's hand insipidly dragged itself up, hastily slapping itself onto Kaede's worn down wrist where she proceeded to curl her already cringe fingers around the delicate skin. Stuttering at first, Mana huffed, wryly opening her mouth where she began to speak "I…I'm fine Kaede" sighed Mana, pulling Kaede's hand away, allowing her to adjustingly position it back down by her side where she continued to listen.

While looking around, Mana straightened up, attempting to convince everyone that nothing had happened "As most of you know…" A short, daunting pause "Kotaro has been inflicted with the infection, becoming possessed by The First right under our noses" Mana began to bite her upper lip, pinching the tips of the red surface and gently tearing away the whiteness that faintly plastered onto her lips "And as you also know, The Virus has…to our demise…hidden itself within one of the students that roam the building. It has come to my attention that…" Her eyesight glared at Lilason "staying here…is no longer an option" explained Mana.

The area quivered with certain distraught. Heads turned side to side, automatically looking at the closest person available just to make sure that what they heard was real and they weren't going crazy.

Tankins on the other hand simply smirked with sinister appeasement, absorbing the horrific explanation like a sponge, and enjoying it with delight. "What are you saying?" he chuckled "That a simple student such as yourself cannot hold of a few brainless druggies? I suppose you gathered us here to reminisce the wonderful time we had together, and that parting ways is best for us? That escaping is even an option? Please, enlighten us to your attractive reasons!" exclaimed Tankins, obviously mocking Mana.

Apart from the aggravating groans from the undead that never seemed to dull down, the only sound that could be heard was Tankins plausible laugh, greatly becoming an irritation to everyone who once again glared at the optic maniac who smiled at the sight of misery.

The atmosphere quaked with a bone shattering sensation of devastating realisation. The obnoxious task of surviving, of keeping the students safe had blinded them all. The real objective wasn't to hide away, hoping that some sort of rescue squad such as Tankins and Lilason would clear the streets and accept them with open arms…no….no….that was never the truth, the failure of both well armed soldiers was easily enough evidence to support that statement. They weren't meant to keep the distance between the infected…but to instead face them. The Self Defence Force wasn't meant to find them….THEY….were meant to find the Self Defence Force. It was so obvious…and yet no one and seen it until now.

Mana scuffled around, raising one hand high where she flickered back her recently muffled hair, causing it to brush across and over here shoulder where in softly unravelled down her straight back. Amazingly, while looking at Tankins where he viciously glared back, Mana managed to pull a smirk "Not me" her head jerked to the side, indicating Tankins to look to the direction Mana poked at "Her" sprayed Mana, turning a long lived cough into a gullible spray of giggles once witnessing the confusion in Tankins face.

The expression was indeed platonic. Tankins eyebrows dived down with confusion, creating an awry surge of wiggly lines that stained themselves across his forehead and deeply sunk deep into his skin. There was another? Some observed student that dare takes the challenge of risking everyone's life to escape? Who would be foolish enough to do such a thing! Tankins rapidly turned, becoming slower with each inch of movement until his pace froze and his blurry eyesight fixed on the proudly stepped up person that took such a task. Immediately, Tankins furiously pushed himself of the white wall, diagonally turning so that he fully faced the opposing user.

"H-Her!" growled Tankins, outstretching his arm where he steadily pointed his index finger towards Lilason "Lilason!" Tankins face hastily turned to Mana with disbelief, then back to Lilason where he experience a fatal wink, followed by a short lived smile that hit him hard. The discovery caused Tankins to hysterically laugh with a crazed tone "You're serious? A deserter like her, leading the coordinates of this excuse of a plan?" yelled Tankins. He took a step back, completely surprised as if he had been shot. His goggled eyes sloped down, looking at the dusty surface of the floor before swinging back up at Mana "You would pick her over me!" suddenly revealed Tankins, obviously traumatized that Lilason had been picked over a superior mind such as himself.

"Better luck next time…sir" smirked Lilason with a cheeky tone.

Tankins snarled at Lilason "This is…" another crazed chuckle slipped from his mouth "This is unbelievable! A…A bitch like her! An unreliable source of trickery that would leave the only force that stands in the way of these dirt bags at a time like this! Ah…Ugh…I don't need this!" hissed Tankins.

Instantly, Tankins began charging through the small crowd of ignorant fools that stood in his way. His feet stormed across the stone surface, pounding hard onto the floor and creating a hard clanking sound that most people felt the vibrates go through them. Aggravating mumbles angrily tortured there way out of his mouth as Tankins shoulder barged past Ku Fei, forcing her to the side where she inaccurately stumbled back, giving Tankins a revengeful look while watching him shake his head with disbelief, storming through the doorway and down the stairs.

"Don't worry" sniffed Lilason "He'll calm down…he always does, trust me" she comforted, sensing some concern from the others "I suppose you want to hear what I have to say…you know, about escaping this dump".

"That would be the most appropriate thing to do" quickly responded Takamichi.

"Well…" Lilason strolled over to Takamichi, swinging her hips with effort "The quiet one finally speaks" Now looking up at him, Lilason slyly slithered her palm up, poking her index finger along Takamichi's chin and slowly stroking the prickly surface of the roots of his beard. It caused Takamichi to pull his head up, nervously remaining silent "Allow me to explain" lusciously exhaled Lilason, flicking her finger away from his chin while walking over to the balcony, slightly staggering Mana back with concern to what she just saw. Did Lilason just flirt with Takamichi? At a desperate time like this? They did indeed still need to learn more about her…

Now leaning over the splintered balcony, slowly warming up from the suns scorching rays of heat, Lilason looked down, scouring the roads full of infected and easily pin pointing the bright yellow and abandoned school buses. She looked back, over her shoulder, only to repeatedly nudge her head sideways as if to say 'Over here'.

"See those two buses down there?" questioned Lilason, pointing her finger over the balcony and down towards the hordes of flesh eating monsters that roamed around the bus like a magnet. Apart from Kaede, Mana and strangely enough Zazie who had already witnessed the vehicles, everyone hastily joined Lilason, carefully sloping there over the wooden railings and instantly spotting the buses "If we can get to those buses with the students, I am positive that we can get em started, hot wire or car keys, either one is good. If everything goes accordingly, we can proceed to the Self Defence Force HQ, where food, drinks, warmth and shelter await everyone with twenty four hour shifts from well rested soldiers just like me. I give you my word, you will all be safe" explained Lilason. She expected some sort of response, but instead, received more silence, creating an awkward moment that she just had to break "Did I forget to mention the heavy steel walls and air conditioned rooms? Well…that is if the generators nearby are still operational…we have a squad keeping it running….bring em supplies every now and then because of the lack on those things hanging about. Keeps the power running…lights, warm showers, it's a dream come true after being stuck in a shit hole like this".

"Really!" excitedly interrupted Ku Fei.

"Uh huh, and no worries about the guys, our commanding officer has a strict policy over violations against women…after all, she is a women" winked Lilason "Your girls will be safe from anything. You'll be treated like royalty seeing as the commanding officer wanted you back here alive in the first place. You'll be kept together, in the same rooms…I understand that…uh…Mana? Isn't on the best terms with the Self Defence Force, which is why I'm making this as comfortable for her as possible. Anyone messes with you" She tapped the side of her gun with a grin on her face "You just let me know and I'll sort it out".

"That's all well and good…and I take your word for it" Mana strictly turned, facing the small crowd of protectors "But there is still the problem that we as a family face" hissed Mana.

"Humph, I almost forgot…you said something about a girl being unable to leave? Care to explain?" questioned Lilason.

The slightest mention of Evangeline caused everyone to gasp with devastation. It was true, Evangeline couldn't leave…and it could greatly effect everyone in a mixed sensational way that could mentally screw them in the head…Negi was an example. Leaving his master behind, the one girl that truly started his progress to becoming a Master Magister…left behind in a disaster like this?

"You wouldn't understand…" whispered Mana.

"You have already explained that were in a world full of dead, flesh eating monsters and that there is some kind of Virus lurking throughout the building. And to top that, another creature known as…The First…or some other ridiculous name, has possessed one of your friends and is watching us as we speak? Try me…" countered Lilason.

"Very well…." Mana took a deep breathe in, only to exhale with sorrow as her eyesight remained on Lilason "Evangeline is trapped in a room across the city. We managed to make contact while getting here but getting her out was impossible" lied Mana, protecting the secret of vampires and magic users.

"I see…" quickly replied Lilason "And what do you suppose we do?".

"We can't leave her!" exclaimed Negi, obviously upset about the idea "She doesn't deserve a punishment so harsh! There must be another way!".

"Whoa whoa whoa! Lets think about this for a minute…" intervened Lilason.

The query sparked an argument between them all, causing harsh comments to swing back and forth as disciple opinions wrapped themselves into the conversation, some more powerful than others and completely overwhelming any calmness that remained in the obliterated situation. Mana, Negi, Kaede, Ku Fei, Takamichi, Setsuna, Lilason, they all became involved in one exclusive decision that some sorely found unreasonable…but there was one who remained silent. There was one who sat and watched, blankly showing no signs of bother or emotion to the situation unfolding before her. Her pale lips softly pried open, whispering out a soothing tone of calm and sweet rhythm that could barely be heard, but amazingly enough caught the attention of everyone, causing them to turn with suspense, some dropping their jaws, others raising their eyebrows with realisation.

"Let her decide…" whispered the mysterious Zazie, silently leaning her arm against the wall.

They all looked at her, as if just seeing as ghost. Everyone anxiously turned to one another…feeling rather distraught that they had completely left Evangeline's needs…her choice…out of the picture.

"W-What did you say?" stuttered Mana, double checking.

"Let…her decide" she whispered again. Zazie's voice was so…mystical, perking up everyone's sensations and creating an awry feeling that connected them like a chain, opening up a possible solution of reasoning.

"Ah…let her decide…let her decide our fate…no…her fate" Mana's eyes widely opened, slightly twinkling in the suns rays of light. She slowly turned her head from left to right, examining the silent protectors that were now awaiting a proper response. Freezing at Zazie, who quietly nodded, Mana sighed before looking back over to Negi "Negi…you know what to do. The rest of you go to your rooms and rest…the decision will be made shortly" ordered Mana, mildly shaking from the scarcely order she just gave. Send the boy who cares about Evangeline the most…what was she thinking! Then again…he would be the only one she would listen too…and risks were not an option anymore. It was now…or never.

* * *

**Here's chapter 13 for your enjoyment!**

**Allow me to quickly explain. Before, this chapter was going to have another two scenes, but I decided to shorten it so that this chapter contains one long scene, and the next chapter will contain two shorter scenes. That means chapter 14 will be another chapter that fills in the gaps and builds up the story. Chapter 15 will be when everything starts to become exciting again.**

**On the bright side, thanks to this idea, chapter 14 is already half done! Expect it very soon!**

**Just a quick note, I absolutely loved the small scene where I explained Zazie's condition. Has anyone actually ever thought of Zazie without her face paint? It was just an idea, and I must say, describing how exhausted and mysterious she was must have been one of the most favourite scenes I have ever write! Tell me what you thought about this chapter.**

**Reviews are appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Edit: Whoops! Also forgot! Don't forget to check out the poll on my profile and give your vote to who you think is far more devious, more in control and more aggressive! The First...or The Virus? Who will prevail? Only your votes can tell!**


	14. A Hurtful Goodbye

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday 4:44AM - The Rooftop**

Gruesome was the word Evangeline hungered for. Only now becoming use to the eradicated smell of decomposing flesh, which slightly disturbed even her, Evangeline became dulled down with unsatisfied urges that needed attending, including the long desire to be entertained by something…anything if needed. Since the earlier incident involving Fuuka, Fumika and the absurd soldiers who willingly drove themselves across the bloody pathway that led to the hotel without a seeming care for there own safety, nothing particularly exciting had happened…which in a way was good but disappointing, because the boredom of Evangeline continued to grow…and even she knew that her lustful intentions to entertain herself were rather…unnatural, to say the least…but still enjoyable. Who knows what she could do just to amuse the very essence of herself? There was so many options, and yet she was discontinued to even attempt them, thanks to the now roaming monsters of hell that brought the scent of all things natural to a stand still, only to be replaced with garnished flavours of rotten flesh and blood.

It wasn't just the incompetent creatures though….in fact, it was never about them. She never feared them, because they never noticed her, as if she was invisible, or a reflective mirror that just showed another dead being before the stupid creature. Why fear what cannot harm? That's how Evangeline saw it…but even if threatened by such a beast, she would remain ascetical, because she had seen much worse than a few flesh eating monsters…

No…the real problem had come to her…it had found her…and chose her. It forced Evangeline to question her motives…if she should even be here right now. Akiras…the name of the child who deeply distributed Evangeline's past thoughts, past actions, and crumpled her into something else. NO! She wasn't the type to take care of others…to have a mixed surge of feelings that forces her to…interact…with such humans. And yet in the end it happened, and now look where she is.

Heavily slouched against the hard, cold wall, on top of a ghastly building and watching from afar. Her back uneasily scraping against the prickly bricks as she stared at Akiras, comfortably snuggled into Chachamaru who seemed to be wide awake, staring back at her master with…unknown feelings flowing through her. The only difference was, Chachamaru was enjoying it on purpose where as Evangeline…hazardly enjoyed it was force. To take care of such a sweet child…to be tailed as a 'mum' towards the abandoned child…Evangeline could accept keeping watch, she could even accept being known as a motherly figure…but to actually become the mother! She never intended this! The looks, the personality, what were the chances her mother was just like her? Either way, she was stuck her, and needed to get use to it…because now, whenever separated from the delicious child, Evangeline couldn't help but think…that she would be better off with her, rather than without.

With her backside planted to the rocky surface on the building and her knee's sharply pointing up high, she wrapped both of her plentiful arms around them, entangling her fingers into each other as her palms gently slapped into each other, connecting together and allowing her to pull herself forward, sorely curling her back as she seeked to remain warm. The fact that the adorable problem that ended up snuggling under Chachamaru's robotic arms had actually offered her warmth to Evangeline earlier, only to be declined, didn't bother her…but the fact that she could easily sleep remained a mystery hat fascinated Evangeline…after suffering so much traumatizing events, running through the flesh eating monsters, learning of her mothers…unfortunate demise…she was still able to calmly sleep without it going unnoticed? As if it never happened? Maybe this girl did have something in common with her…they shared the passion to not care…or at least, to show that they don't care. Deep down though, Akiras emotions were building up, and eventually the sadistic would happen when she realised what really happened…and Evangeline would have to be there…to her faulty pleasure.

Disconnect the courage…teach the child…perform the despicable and instruct her not to reminisce the horrors as something that brings fear…but instead brings power and knowledge. Evangeline could do this…in due time…but the future for such a delicate child is unspeakable, mainly because it is unreadable. An apprentice? Perhaps…but even Akiras has a choice, and by the intellect she had received, she would follow Evangeline no matter what circumstances. To use this to her advantage…this really would become satisfying…but to teach such a useless human without any kind of power, or even a flicker of courage? It would be a waste of time.

Evangeline sighed blasting a chilly fog of condensation that thickly absorbed the cold air until disappearing from plain sight. Stretching her vision from Akiras to the orange glowing sky mounding with black clouds, she blinked with concern at the odd scenery…black clouds? On such a positive morning? Something wasn't right. Morning is coming, and staying on the rooftop, although entertaining, wasn't an option when Akiras is around. It was a pretty simple procedure. Once she wakes up, they would go back to the hotel.

Unravelling her visibly pale arms, she brought them down to her side and carefully positioned her palms onto the hard surface, narrowly missing some loose pebbles that would have caused an irrational sensation of annoyance as stinging would beat around her luscious skin. Keeping her eyes on nothing but the illusional sky, her knee's straightened, and her body lifted itself up, slowly regaining mobility and stretching out until she was fully standing straight and upright. The pattern of the hallucination like sky trouble her….the black clouds…troubled her. It is very unusual for clouds such as these to form one day, disappear the next…and then suddenly reform again. Did they represent something? Because it seemed that way…Craving for attention…craving…for destruction.

She began to lightly walk, silently tapping her feet elegantly until reaching the edge of the building, where to crossed both arms into each other a roughly sloped them onto the ledge, leaning for support. From the distance she was from, not even the groans could disturbingly be heard…leaving silence to engulf the ecstatic feeling of treachery…that something was still out there, mocking Evangeline for not ending this in the first place.

Each step Evangeline took, Chachamaru's eyesight accurately followed, steadily keeping in sync and rhythm on the vampires tone of mood. The never ending warmth that radiated of Akiras buzzed around her, making it slightly harder to concentrate since having such…enthusiastic feelings start to race throughout her system. But the truth was, Chachamaru was postponed to never encountering such…powerful things that can make someone as fragile as her mentally unstable if not controlled properly. The warm exhales of Akiras brushed along Chachamaru's clothing and hair, sometimes swaying them away gracefully, other times just causing her to shiver with sheer sorrow.

Looking down, Evangeline yet again began to study the infected below. The formation…the way not a single one of them take notice of one another…do they realise that they're dead? Are they even aware that their being controlled? There were so many questions…and little answers. There was no pattern between them, they were just children, roaming around, bumping into one another without a care, or an understandable respond that doesn't involve moaning a hum while looking for food. Why couldn't she figure it out! She was being outsmarted by creatures that can barely walk properly!

Suddenly…it caught her attention. A whistle, gliding along the bacterial infested air, causing sonic waves of winds that fiercely smash into the side Evangeline, madly frizzing her hair to the side where most of the blonde curliness slumped over her left shoulder, slightly irritating the creature of the night while becoming fazed. She diagonally turned, twisting her hips to the right where her body and head quickly followed. Both hands unbuckled themselves from each other, quickly pushing themselves outwards where they began floating around her chest area with fists clenched, as if ready to engage in battle.

From afar, the sky withered with a misty grey fog, causing Evangeline to cringe her eyes as she glared out to the open world, attempting to find the source of the sudden winds. It couldn't have been an act of nature…not when everything had been so calm for so long…no…something was approaching with prejudice.

Backing away from the ledge, she watched from a distance as a figure trifled through the fog, accurately flying straight and revealing himself. It only took seconds before Evangeline's eyes widened with both relief and arrogation. It was the boy…Negi, desperately swaying his head back and forth, side to side as if looking for something…or someone while keeping a tight grip on his staff….just what was he doing?

"The boy…" exhaled Evangeline, sighing with pleasure at the presence of Negi "In quite a panic…I see" she pointed out to herself "A mere coincidence that he shows up during my time of need?" a small smirk planted itself across her face, only to quickly fade once the sight of Negi anxiously spotting her on the ledge, causing him to rapidly change course, fiercely heading towards her with speed.

Within seconds, Negi screeched to a halt, where he skilfully hovered above Evangeline as the well known staff he rode on hummed a sonic tone of thwarting that easily caught Chachamaru's attention as she homed in on Negi, glaring at him with relief. Negi watched Evangeline with suspense…he was the one who had to ask her the unfortunate question…to leave, or stay…their path was in her hands. He examined her from head to toe, taking quick notice of the similar clothing Zazie wore, the chequered school uniform, only this time, Evangeline had more blood but less tears on the delicate clothing. She was practically drenched in it, making the ugly pattern of splatter that familiarly enough didn't bother her, but instead matched her personality quite well…to his horror.

The facial expressions were easily recognisable. "What do you want?" is what her bland face showed in Negi's eyes. The clear scratch that brightly scarred Evangeline's cheek became easily noticeable with redness…the same cut that The First had created, and indecently collected a blood sample from the sadistic girl where her knowledge became his…it was healable with a healing spell…so why didn't she remove the symbol of effectiveness created towards her? Was it a sign of courage? That no matter what happened, she would always be standing?

Quaking with uneasiness, Negi hesitantly lowered himself, Once feeling his heavy feet clap against the roof, he roughly hopped off, hitting the surface hard and stumbling around for balance as the worry completely took over any senses he had. The long, awkward stare of his master caused him to achingly gulp, looking back at Evangeline while doing so where his bluish eyes connected deep into the flame that sparked within her.

"Evangeline…I ne-"

"Don't speak boy" she interrupted "unless spoken too…" Both arms then lifted themselves from her side, appropriately folding and crossing into each other while her right foot took a light step back, changing Evangeline's posture as she slightly leaned back, looking relaxed and in charge. Satisfied that Negi did exactly what she just told him, the faint wheezing of the sleeping beauty suddenly caught her attention. Evangeline turned and looked back, witnessing Akiras cradle around, becoming disturbed by the loud chatter. Shaking her head with ignorance, she turned back to Negi where he patiently awaited his masters response "Don't wake her…this is the only chance I get where I'm not forced to listen to the irritating girl's voice. Now…" Without warning, Evangeline's speed dramatically increased, quickly unravelling her arms where she lunged forward, sorely slapping both palms onto Negi's aching chest where he was violently pushed, staggering his steps back with an unbalanced motion before hitting the side of the ledge, where his waist ploughed into the dirty bricks. It forced him to whimper with unavoidable pain while watching the girl he looked up to smile with pleasantness, only to have to drag down into a frown as she spoke again "What kind of insolent being do you take me for? Were you expecting a warm welcome!" She gave Negi no time to respond "Why were you daftly flying across the city where you were easily exposable to an ambush? I thought you were better than this…obviously I was wrong" growled Evangeline.

"Ah…I….I was looking for you. We have a prob-"

"Enough" simply ordered Evangeline "I asked what you were doing, not why" the harsh response made Negi flinch. He didn't know whether Evangeline was in a bad mood, or just being herself "Tell me boy…what did you think once this outbreak started again? Remorse? Humiliation? A simple buzz of bother that it isn't over?" mysteriously questioned Evangeline.

"Uh…well…I, uh…"

"Speechless, I see. How predictable from you boy. I trained you to overcome simple tasks such as this and yet you still struggle…explain your presence here so that this pathetic encounter can end" growled Evangeline.

She was attacking Negi without a care. It slightly concerned him to why she acted so…serious…at his presence. Was it a test? At a time like this?

"Wait!" quickly panicked Negi, slightly disturbing Akiras again "Why the sudden change?" quickly asked Negi.

A loud tut burst out of Evangeline's mouth "Boy…" one hand slyly lifted, carefully swaying itself across her forehead where she flickered her fringe to one side "I never changed, even if you think I did. Now, I'll say it again…explain your presence here so that this pathetic encounter can end" she replied.

Negi nervously fiddled around, repeatedly stumping the end of his staff onto the hard floor with desperate eagerness to avoid the conversation…the question…but it needed to be done.

"I…I don't know how to explain it…everything is just so…troublesome" strained Negi.

"Typical boy. You jump to conclusions to quickly. Did you even think of what you were going to explain once discovering my whereabouts? Start from the beginning…what made you come here?" questioned Evangeline, strangely offering a helping hand once detecting the stressful thoughts burning of Negi like rays of energy.

"It started with the unethical discovery of the infected rising again. We…We thought we were safe…secure…but it all completely changed. The discovery of something new. Evangeline…t-there is another" explained Negi.

"Another what boy! Make sense with your words!" growled Evangeline.

"Another Virus!" Negi stumbled forward with horrific treachery, fed up with Evangeline's harsh attitude towards him. She has no idea what he's going through…she never knew "There's…another Virus" softly whispered Negi, this time in a gentle time of sorrow.

Evangeline hummed an enthusiastic tone of interest, creating a perfect harmony that blandly changed nothing but the discomforting feeling of talking to his master in such a way to a fascinated atmosphere that withered around. She turned to the side without warning, lightly treading her feet along the hard surface as she majestically approached the edge again. She then froze…literally. Once her foot tapped onto the ground, Evangeline glared out into the open world, staring directly forward at one direction. She didn't blink, and by the looks of it, she didn't even attempt to breathe. It was as if Evangeline had put herself into some kind of hypnosis that switched everything off.

Negi watched…he watched the beauty of his master reflect like a mirror. What made it all the more mystical was the increase in winds. The gliding air gracefully whistled past Negi, slightly tickling his bare skin while hovering over before swishing towards Evangeline. It was as if the winds had a mind of it's own, carefully brushing along her luscious hair where it began to caress the long blonde silkiness of curls that attached, swiftly swaying it to one side where the itself to her head. The long locks hovered for a few seconds, being supported by the continues winds that became a flow of energy before fading away, allowing the hair to drop where it laid over one shoulder.

From a side angle…she looked particularly bothered…as if something was wrong. Second by second he waited, slowly witnessing the sun conveniently rise where it amazingly aligned itself with Evangeline, creating an orange glow or purity that just added to the beauty already planted on the wicked vampire.

Negi's lips became dry, causing them to stick to one another. Only seconds later did he lick them with concern to the limited actions of his master, making them wet with tasteless saliva that smothered across his lips, causing the redness to go down as he awaited an action from Evangeline who had yet to respond. His lips unstuck, slowly dropping his draw where Negi faltered to speak, fearing that Evangeline may snap at him again.

"E-Evangeline?" whispered Negi.

She turned with lushness, revealing a sparkle in her eye as if about to cry. These were no tears though…and there was no reason for tears. Not yet. The angle was still a gleam of beauty, causing Negi to flinch once her eyes met with his. It was an ethnic erosion of analyses that didn't have Evangeline speechless….but rather submissive that the patronising event wasn't over. But more than that…the realisation that even when high up, away from the undead…she…no…Akiras, was still in danger from the hostile being that learns with ambivalent prejudice.

"Well!" snapped Evangeline, clenching her fist "I'm still awaiting the response to why you are here. Did you expect me to help you against this….'new' Virus?" the word 'new' was shrewd and sarcastic "This linguistic minority of knowledge isn't enough to satisfy me to the reason of you being here…don't waste my time, boy" growled Evangeline. She blinked, efficiently washing away the sparkle in her eye.

"Ah…w-well…We believe that this is the same Virus, but with a slightly different path in approaching us. Were guessing that all it's memories remain intact, which is why it has done this. This…Virus…is the exact same thing we all fought, but it split itself away from The First, supposedly creating it's own personality, goals and desires. During the time period between now and when the infected rose again, it's intelligence has greatly increased…somehow…someway…it may be because of the soldier Mana and another called Lilason told me about…that it possessed the guy, and apparently he was the smart one, which just makes things worse. Eventually…it switched hosts. It may have been Fuuka or Fumika, or either of the soldiers, but it unsuspectingly made it's way into the hotel" explained Negi.

"_That explains the pathway, and the reason to why those two immature brats safely walked through it…" _deviouslythought Evangeline.

"Then why not find the little ones?" questioned Evangeline.

"Fuuka and Fumika? No, we were informed that The Virus is most likely in another student now…we just don't know who. Now we worry that another student is going to be attacked…we…we just don't know what to do" whimpered Negi, tightly closing his fist.

"Uh…informed?" replied Evangeline, tilting her head with confusion as she showed no care for the current situation "By who?" she snarled.

Negi's lips sucked themselves in…he never meant to be so revealing so quickly. The consuming fear ferociously ripped out of him, causing his eyes to hastily swipe side to side and his breathing deeply increased. "T-T-The…" Now he knew how Nodoka felt…how she struggled to even admit something so short and simple without staggering her words because of being afraid by the reactions received…it was a painful experience.

How to do tell….how do you reveal to truth to your master…that the monster that started all this was never dead. That her sacrifices and hard effort in not only risking her life…but putting up with someone so sweet and innocent like Akiras, which was the complete opposite of Evangeline's attitude… has been in vain…that it had gone unnoticed…that she was useless. To reveal something so explicit who someone who feeds of the misery of others, only to learn that it never ended, that she had been feeding off a lie…it was a scary thought that caused Negi to shiver.

"T-The First…" whispered Negi in a stressful tone "It was never gone Evangeline…this…was never over" he strained himself not to choke on the words that easily attracted developing anger from Evangeline.

Evangeline did nothing at first. Not even her expressible facial features were readable anymore. She simply…stood there…waiting, watching, loathing…

Then, a calm act of saneness. Feeling a cold tingle of submissive disbelief slither down her spine, much like the sensation of a tiny spider eerily crawling across your arm with panic, her thumb stuck out like a nail, impaling the murderous air as the rest of her fist remained clenched. Staying calm was a respectable shock that forced Negi's eyebrows to slyly rise. He watched…he watched Evangeline become lost, as if she had completely giving up, just like that. The mistress of the night very slowly began to lift her hand, where the back tip of her smooth thumb became squashed in-between her red, luscious lips. She bit down hard, gripping the edge of her nail where her teeth grinded along the blood red manicured surface, nastily tasting the self made polish "I see" murmured her voice, becoming mostly blocked by the enclosed space. Evangeline looked rather cute now…

It was a tape player, running through her head over and over and over again. Her palm closed…she vaporized The Virus….her palm closed…she vaporized The Virus…it was a never ending streak of repressing memories that certainly made Evangeline dread the thought that her work wasn't done "I suggest you continue boy…my mood is faltering…" hissed Evangeline.

"Ah! Well…The First has managed to possess Kotaro by-"

"The Hayno! What kind of beast allows such a predictable mistake to happen!" exclaimed Evangeline, obviously taking her anger out on whatever she could "I realise the boy isn't the most smartest, but even he should have realised such a detectable obscurity…you basically brought this on yourselves…fools".

"Wait, you don't understand!" panicked Negi.

"And do you think I care? Get on with it boy! So far you have delivered nothing but distraughting news…"

"Ugh…O-Ok" shamefully whispered Negi "With both The First and The Virus in formidable positions, ready to strike one another without a suspecting eye to witness and warn anyone about it…it brings to much threatening danger towards the students. It took some time…and a lot of debate…but…" There was a long, derogating pause as Negi tilted his head down, redirecting his sight to the dirty floor he stood on, afraid of Evangeline's reactions once hearing the threatening answer. Evangeline watched the boys eyes gleam up, twinkling with crystal clearness as bright tears crept into the corner of his eye. It slightly disturbed her…she had seen the boy cry before…so why was it so efficient now? Why did she feel…bad…inside? "A plan has been made to leave the city and head for the Self Defence Force HQ. The only problem is…" Negi's mouth buttoned up…he couldn't do it…why did Mana have to choose him? It only there were another wa-

"Me…" whispered Evangeline "I'm the problem, isn't that right boy?" she questioned, taking a heavy step forward.

"Ah…" Negi's head lowered even further "Yes…" he exhaled with a dearest whisper.

"That's not good enough…boy…I'm the problem, isn't that right boy!" growled Evangeline, angrily throwing her hand and slapping the cold air.

Faint sniffles wheezed up Negi's nostrils "Y-Yes!" he dragged his head up, looking into her eyes "You're the problem!" admitted Negi with regret.

"Now tell me why!" exclaimed Evangeline.

"B-Because…we can't leave you here….I…can't leave you here. It's just not fair! You shouldn't receive such a dreaded punishment…We all need you! It shouldn't have been considered in the first place! but it is your choice…but I beg you" Negi quivered down to one side, awry slumping one knee hard against the rough surface where it skidded a few inches along the dirty, lumpy ground…even he had no idea if it was due to exhaustion…or just desperate plead for his needs "Don't make me leave…".

Evangeline examined Negi…she watched him with disgust, closing her eyes with annoyance as she sighed "You really are pathetic" harshly hissed Evangeline "Stop thinking of your needs and start thinking about the obvious".

"W-What?" I…I'm n-not…I'm not like that…this is everyone's needs!" cried Negi.

"You are blinded by your emotions boy. Honestly, do you truly think staying here because of me is the smartest option?" questioned Evangeline.

"Well…Y-Ye-".

"Think wisely boy…I'm going to make my decision on your verdict. Think…wisely…think about what everyone else would want. Think about the situation you are in! Don't you dare fail me, not after everything I have taught you" replied Evangeline.

Negi saw the seriousness on Evangeline's diplomatic face. It caused him to flinch, shaking his head around where it accidentally caused a hanging tear to drop off, clearly dropping down his pale cheek with a crystal colour. He needed to think…Evangeline's answer was in his hands…what to do…what does he do! Wait…he was told to think wisely…to ponder his thoughts…to predict the future.

"_I-If…if we stay…then we increase the risk of The Virus taking another student with ease…b-but that can't…no…no, we wont let that happen, I'll double my efforts…I wont let it harm my students! B-But…it has already harmed one, and I was already giving it my all to stay awake while keeping watch…it slipped in under my efforts of keeping them safe. A-And Makie! The First hurt her…he…hurt her…The First let the infected in….it…it doesn't care about us! It just wants The Virus! And as long as we stay…it's hunt for The Virus will never remain because The Virus is in my students! But…I can't leave Evange-…No…No I didn't just say that…it is best for everyone if…but…I can't be the only one…it isn't fair! Wait a minute…s-she knows! She understands what I'm going through…she…she wants me to decide for her…which means…s-s-she doesn't care if I choose to leave her…because…she wants to stay" _Reminisced Negi, realising that staying was certain death…and that Evangeline knew that.

"I can see it…you have made your choice" smirked Evangeline "You realise it now, that staying isn't an option. That leaving me truly is the best option…that escaping means surviving. Boy…don't let your ignorant worries get in the way. I am Dark Evangel…The Queen Of The Night! No pitiful blob of liquid will threaten me…did you forget that! I have nothing to fear…but instead…should be feared by the wretched creatures that believe that they can overcome someone such as me…" A short chuckled smudged its way out of her mouth, causing her chest to bounce up and down with satisfaction "Fools" grinned Evangeline "Not that I care, but would you rather feel like this all the time? Because if you stay, those…'friends' if you can call them that, will suffer because of you…because you stayed for one reason…me".

"I…I-"

"No words boy. Just go, before I reconsider".

Negi felt devastated, as if a knife had struck him deep into his heart, sucking his very essence that made him who he was. His other knee smashed into the ground, having him lean on them both with soreness where the clothes he wore became stained with brown dirt while his body lowered, grappling to balance as his body roughly swayed around with inaccuracy. His paleness turned even lighter, if that were possible, as his eyes widely shot open, revealing his sickly coloured eyes of sadness while more tears poured out, having little effect of Evangeline but a dreadful feeling of emptiness that engulfed the poor boy. He was only ten…surely she could have been a little polite? No…this was the only way to get through to him…Evangeline has experienced the flow of emotions with Akiras…and it truly can be manipulating…she knew exactly what the boy was going through but had no symphony for him.

Everything went quiet again, leaving a disappointed Negi to drown in sorrow. Evangeline watched the young mage hesitate. Drenched with tears now streaming down his eyes, he madly sniffled as he looked down to his staff, back to Evangeline who's smile turned into a frown of disbelief that Negi was such a mess, then again back to his staff where he gave it a long, terrifying stare before slowly regaining his stance and rose to his feet. He began to position his it diagonally, hovering it above the ground where in aligned itself and firmly leaned against his hip. Negi heaved himself over the staff, securely wrapping his fingers around the smooth wooden staff and tightly gripping with regret. He had his answer…but he didn't know what to think…On one hand, the plan can continue without any problems, and the students can be transported to safety. But on the other hand…the girl he looks up to…who taught him…who protected him from the wrong choices…he would be leaving her, in this barren wasteland of flesh eating monsters, alone.

Looking down, then back up, Negi's eyes once again met with Evangeline, where the slight sensation of concern could be detected from Evangeline. But what…what could she be so worried about? The corner of his eyes glistened with troubled tears, continuing to drop. He nodded before tapping his feet hard onto the ground, causing another thwarting sound that caused him to gently float above the ground, hovering. He was ready…he was prepared to leave with horrific regret that slowly ate away at him…but he knew…his sacrifice of desires for his master…would not go in vein…and he would damn make sure of it. Negi's tears gracefully swept across the scenery, blinking with a crystal glow as the fierce winds from his staff blew them back…he prepared to lift himself high…until…

"Wait…" suddenly whispered Evangeline, her voice quickly becoming an echo of sweetness that really perked Negi up…was she changing her mind?

Negi's head lifted with obscurity. His hopes…his desires…became shattered again…but this time, it was all for the right reasons as Evangeline's actions caught him of guard, causing Negi to struggle to remain on the hovering staff. He watched…he could do nothing but watch…as Evangeline delicately turned her back to him, swaying her hair while looking down at something…or rather…someone. Her eyes become a reflective mirror, printing the adorable image of Akiras sweetly sleeping in Chachamaru's arms. One arm curled around the robotic girls waist while the other snuggled close to her face, where she stuck her wet thumb into her mouth, producing strained sucking sounds as the skin became very smooth. Evangeline shuddered…both with disgust and…consideration.

Evangeline breathed in through her mouth, only to sweetly exhale a scent of care through her nose. She studied the charming girl…her…charming girl. Then, she started to slowly walk, tiptoeing her feet and silent patting her heels against the floor until she was in reach of both Akiras and Chachamaru. She peaky blinked while her eyes glimmered with honesty.

She gently crouched down, coming face to face with Akiras who silently breathed in and out with a elegant tone of graciousness twiddling around with the short fringe that hustled around in front of her face. _"Just like me…" _thought Evangeline with a soothing wonder. While doing so, she began to slyly lift her hand, lusciously skimming the back of her hand along Akiras forehead, innocently swiping her hair behind her ears where she continued to stroke Akiras forehead with delicacy.

Chachamaru watched…and became slightly amazed to the actions unfolding before her. This was the first time she had ever seen Evangeline so….exposed. Her brain waves, her heart beats, Evangeline was showing some kind of vast increase in mental activity. But the thing was…she was improving.

Calmly and gently, Evangeline redirected her arms, slithering the hand on Akiras forehead further down where it took a firm grip under her back while her other arm grappled themselves under Akiras legs, clanking her fingers around the smooth surface of Akiras skin while curling her fingers and obtaining a secure grip. She slowly backed away, trembling at first because of still crouching down. Evangeline watched the arm wrapped around Chachamaru sloppily swing back and forth as it hung on, growing slower each passing second. Eventually, after a heaving struggle, Evangeline pushed up, straightening out her tired legs where she frantically stood tall and carefully turned. Negi witnessed the astonishing act, perking him up with a heart warming sensation as Evangeline, who was unaware at how close she was actually holding Akiras as she began to snuggle herself in again, began to creep closer to him, looking down at Akiras the hole time.

She paced herself, taking her time before reaching the upset mage hovering before her. The glowing aura of orange that surrounded that simply worsened the mood, creating a gloomy sensation of sadness that merged with the misty grey fog of desperation that withered around, becoming an irradiated cloud of sadness which greatly effect everyone, including Evangeline who managed to hide it. Halting before Negi with Akiras still cutely snuggled in her arms and now frozen, Evangeline didn't hesitate to remain inexpressible, showing no signs of happiness, anger, or sadness towards what she was about to do. The tense moment caused Negi to shiver with uneasiness…he was patient…but something so…unexpected was…a turning point for him.

Then, she looked up with suspense, staring deep into Negi's eyes as the glistening shine that blistered in her eyes struck him hard…Evangeline…was actually struggling? "Take her…" softly whispered Evangeline, provokingly outstretching her arms where Akiras moved closer to Negi "Keep her safe boy" demanded Evangeline in a not so harsh rhythm, to Negi's surprise.

Negi hesitated, slightly opening his jaw with confusion as if he was about to talk. He looked down at Akiras, and admired the sweet sleeping beauty, before looking back up at the bland, emotionless Evangeline who deep inside was feeling just as bad as Negi…but even she realised that…leaving Akiras with her was…impulsive…to say the least. No matter how much she regretted it…no matter what she said before…Akiras was the one thing in her life that actually made Evangeline think twice before giving a first impression…but most of all…she really was just like her.

Suddenly, Akiras began to shuffled around, wearily opening her sticky eyes where they faltered to shut again "Mmm…mm…uh…" the first few sounds were the expected groans. Akiras sloppily pulled her thumb away from her mouth, where she began to taste the after effect by sucking the top of her gum and creating a squirming sound "Mmm…M-M-Mummy" drowsily whispered Akiras.

Evangeline's face cringed with annoyance, moaning while doing so. She didn't look down, nor did she complain, but instead continued by leaning over the staff, causing Negi to slightly strain himself back, where the luscious scent of Evangeline overwhelmed his senses. She diagonally turned, allowing the fazed Akiras to softly slide down her arms where her legs graced across the levitating staff before she thumped onto the wooden surface, in front of Negi "Go" simply implied Evangeline, still looking at Negi "Now!" snapped Evangeline.

Negi flinched. His fingers started to dawdle with the staff, scraping his fingernails and chipping pieces of the wood away with ignorance as he fidgeted around, attempting to remain calm and hostile while skirmishing the battle to neglect the order. Was Evangeline really willing to give Akiras up!

Evangeline sneakily backed away, silently taking a step back as she watched Negi nervously gulp. _"Do it boy…don't screw me now" _Hastily turning her back to them with ambivalence, she couldn't help but wonder…why…why did she have to be plagued with the flowing emotions that caused her to act so…unnatural towards Akiras. A heavy step stomped into the ground as Evangeline aimed to approach Chachamaru, who continued to watch and repeatedly blink with fascination. Then…

"Mummy!" Evangeline felt a slick, cold grip tightly wrap itself around her wrist with animosity, weakly losing the secure grip as the small fingers brawled to hang on. The unsteady fingers of Akiras were easily detectable as they heftily shook, vibrating with confusion and fear "Mummy, what's happening!" yelped Akiras. Evangeline didn't need to turn to know that it was Akiras, and that she was now awake and fully aware of her surroundings. The wicked vampire felt her own blood run cold, as if Akiras had transferred her fear of separation into her. That word….that…word…'mummy'…she loathed it…so why wasn't she feeling bothered by the name she specifically recalled not wanting to be referred as?

Akiras began to panic, madly swinging her hips around and causing the staff to sway side to side. It unbalanced both her and Negi, causing him to swing one arm around her waist where his skin connected with her clothing, both tightly connecting while he battle to keep the deranged girl under control. It wasn't until Evangeline's actions did Akiras freeze with shock for mere moments, giving Negi the opportunity to take off.

Evangeline, who still had her back turned to them, strictly swiped her arm to the side, flicking away Akiras hand and losing her grip in a desperate frenzy of arrogation…it was the best thing to do. Doing this forced Akiras back, where her head laid into Negi's chest with a rough landing. She felt shocked…heart broken…this isn't happening…not again! Her eyes sharply opened…where tears of sadness sprung up and began to trifle down her rosy red cheeks with despair. Akiras biggest fear had come true…that she had been separated from her mother again. She could do nothing but watch as the range of Evangeline became shorter and less visible while Negi started to glide along the air, blasting back sonic waves of winds that brushed up against the back of Evangeline. With his tight grip around her waist, there was no escaping…there was no paddles or stressful struggles. Akiras…could only watch…Negi turned, heading the complete opposite direction and once again approaching the thick fog. Once again…Akiras watched, barely able to see Evangeline anymore because of the distance…but enough to see the motherly figure eerily turned her head to the side, where a glimpse of disturbance cracked in her eye as she looked back, witnessing Akiras and Negi disappear into the fog. After that…Akiras did only one thing…

"M-Mummy…" sobbed Akiras, whispering the name over and over, each time more sad and heart breaking. The winds wildly speared into them, gracefully giving the nice breeze when coldness hits tears…both her and Negi shared the sensation…as they left Evangeline and Chachamaru to their fate.

Meanwhile…Evangeline turned back to Chachamaru, who had her head tilted.

"Don't give me that look" hissed Evangeline.

"Ah…Sorry master…do you require any assistance?" replied Chachamaru.

Evangeline linguistically turned, looking back at the direction where Negi and Akiras once where "No…" she surprisingly smiled "I have a feeling that we'll be seeing them again" a tuneful hum escaped her mouth…it sounded rather cheerful…but in reality…It was just to overcome her fear.

* * *

**Scratch what I said before. This scene deserved to be a seperate chapter in my opinion.**

**Anyways, here's chapter 14 for you! I felt very emotional writing the last part of this chapter, but it was necessary to continue the story. Although, don't be surprised if the ending has a few changes. I believe that I could have done a little better, so maybe a few more paragraphs will be added, I'll have to see soon. Please tell me what you thought about this chapter, including how it made you feel. I have been working very hard to create emotional scenes like this and I need feedback, so any reviews will be greatly appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	15. Exposing The Truth!

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday 4:58AM - The Balcony**

A teary water drop emerged from the awry, darkened sky, plunging down from the black, thunderous clouds where it fell hard, gracefully gliding along the fierce, growing winds as it was heaved back and forth along the whistling air that dispersed the unaffected purity of oxygen that was high up and out of reach from the ghastly infectious stench of arterialised particles of death. The immensity of the speed had the small drop reshaping itself, sometimes into a flat surface, other times into a patterned mixture, where it would end up back with the form of the usual water droplet. Like a border, it entered the overpowering stench of rotting flesh that articulated itself into any reliable source of cleanliness, only to be turned into an unhygienic cells that poisoned the very essence of those who breathed in the bacterial air.

Further and further it entered the dreaded atmosphere of lifelessness, digging itself deeper into the hellish nature that surrounded the once known ambitious peaceful lifestyle. The longer it was exposed in the harsh mutations, the easier it became to manipulate, to fuse and become one with the severe scenery. From plain view, the edges of the water droplet began to singe, quickly burning and turning a horrific black colour of sickness as cracks began to appear deeper into the piece of freshness, connecting like a chain where they drastically grew with no sign of stopping. Particle by particle, cell by cell, the sickening waste that had been overwhelmed with mutilated blood, rotting flesh, exposure to The Virus itself and so much more, that had been withered around the contaminated air, consumed the little cleanliness that was produced in the fresh H2O available, eating away at the precious signs of hope and turning purity into a revolting gunk of metallic, disgusting liquid that camouflaged perfectly into the rotting environment once known as Earth.

The water droplet was about to shatter like glass, where it would evaporate and become the complete opposite of what it's purpose was, a monstrous group of vital cells that attacked anything unparsed on sight where it would engulf the only remaining saneness that is left in this treacherous world. Ready to disperse, the droplet suddenly landed without warning. The ongoing impact caused the poisoned water to splatter, where the contaminated liquid scattered across the smooth surface it landed on. The pale smoothness was so even and soft, making it unavoidable to remain in one spot. It began to trifle down the cold, eerie coloured surface…then, a dark shadow roamed over the paleness, shrouding everything with darkness as quickly approached without hesitation.

Mana, who overlooked the balcony as she watched the misty clouds above unload an uncertain amount of crystal clear rain squirm through the smokey fog that mysteriously appeared earlier, hastily lifted her hand, where she roughly smudged the back of her shivering palm against her pale cheek, obnoxiously swiping away the sensational burning water drop that began to irritatingly sting, as if acid had leeched onto her skin where it fed of her efficient flesh as she let out a surprised hum of soreness.

Even after looking like one of the most exhausted victims in the group, Mana was still one of the last to leave as she desperately waited for the sight of Negi to appear from the open sky that scorched with the unsatisfactory stench of nothing but pure rottenness that once breathed in through the nostrils, turned into a stomach churning taste of vomit that left an omitting aftertaste which slithered down your throat like a snake. Another drop sunk itself onto her shivering palm that weakly gripped the wooden balcony. The static sting immediately took effect, bubbling with pretentious danger as it began to burn the surface of Mana's silky but pale skin. Mana effortlessly pushed herself back, tumbling backwards with heavy steps as one hand grasped it's fingers around the burning hands wrists, where she lethally pulled it close up to her face, examining the very faint wither of smoke that singe from her burning skin. Her eyes cringed, shortly followed by the painful expression on her face as it locked up into a cramped position while her lips quivered open, revealing her white, straining teeth.

The temporary pain disappeared as the cracked water droplet vanished, having Mana ponder her thoughts to whether her skin had absorbed the little purity left within the liquid, which forced any remaining heresy to be purged into the air. Mana sighed while lowering and separating her hands, placing them down by her uneven side as she stretched her blurry eyesight back towards the misty, foggy open world. Her jaw silently dropped, where a sorrowful moan whispered itself out during the depressing moment of losing more hope…that maybe…escaping…wasn't an option.

"_What has the world become…" _wondered Mana, interacting her hands together as they fidgeted around…which wasn't like Mana at all _"Negi…return soon" _she worried.

Mana wasn't alone, and she was fully aware of that. The same eerie feeling of being watched submissively burned into her back as she ignored the wondering figure that hung around for a little longer. She was silent, and it was unquestionable to why she even stayed, but the mysterious, exhausted Zazie elegantly stood in the middle, behind Mana, reminiscing the poaching that had ended up sabotaging the city, and creating this distressing situation. Her fingers playfully fidgeted around with her silky hair, twirling the bright greyish curls around her finger where she would tug on it before unravelling it again, only to do the same with another finger. She was acting like a nervous school girl, worryingly awaiting something of anxiety.

Earlier, without a bother, she freely allowed everyone to leave before her, starting with Setsuna. It was unknown even to herself how, but she was rather fond of her fellow students, which made it all the more intriguing to why she found everyone so…fascinating…which seemed rather ridiculous as they thought the same about her. Perhaps she saw them from a different prospective? She did indeed concentrate on the obvious yet unmentionable…is it possible that Zazie notices the things no other student can straight away?

An example would be Setsuna, who earlier seemed rather troubled for an unknown reason. Was she the only one who noticed the swordsman rush through the doorway with panic? Her steps were much heavier than everyone else's and her balance was uneven…it wasn't exhaustion…no…something bothered her.

She continued to watch Mana, and remained alert, that at anytime, exhaustion and stress could kick in again like before. The surplus stance Mana took made it obvious that she was eager for Negi's return, patiently awaiting for the simple but important answer everyone so desperately needed confirming. Her foot rapidly pounded against the dusty floor with anxiety while her fingers continued to twiddle around, picking at one another as white grace marks from her finger nails scarcely appeared, where seconds later they would turn a sore reddish glow which just showed how horrifically Mana was taking everything in.

Mana watched. She watched the now pouring rain smash itself onto the bloody floor, into the abandoned vehicles and buildings, into the hungry infected, producing an infuriating pitter patter sound that repeatedly stayed in tone and rhythm with each other and creating an eerie pattern of annoyance. The area illuminated with blackness that sparked itself in the rain drops, completely overwhelming the scenery and disintegrating the orange aura from the sunset that darkened thanks to the oddly shaped blackened clouds that floated high above the air. The misty grey fog seemed to be connected with the clouds as both moved within sync of each other…as both faced the familiar obstacles ahead…as both reformed into the same shape. Everything was soggy….everything was…dead, with no signs of anything positive…Mana could only assume that the chances of the weather improving would vary between the city and the open road towards the Self Defence Force HQ. Only time would tell…the only problem was…there wasn't much time left.

Even the blurted moans of the undead become engulfed by the fierce rain that continued to ferociously pound down hard. It was nice to have a change of sound…but not when it is something as hazard as the rain that by the looks of it, has no intention of ending anytime soon. Although, even Mana had to admit, it was nice to have a break the moronic groans of the monstrous creatures that were never understandable, especially since they were going to be receiving plenty of interaction from them if Evangeline's choice…falters…to come up.

Mana gently took a light step back where she sloped her head down, watching her fingers fiddle around and only now realising how nervous she was. Another step, and another, her steps treaded, slowly trembling with each uneasy pace that silently patted against the surface and skimming along it. Eventually she stopped, along side Zazie where both felt one another's little body heat fuming out of there arms cross into each other. Side by side, Mana didn't hesitate to remain in the position she was, where her head continued to look down at her fingers as she straightened up. The feeling of being watched stayed within her boundaries, and she was right, as the long, haunting stares of Zazie's mystical blue eyes burned into her, looking at nothing but the facial expressions and posture of Mana.

Zazie's eyes shifted down, carefully noticing Mana's hand position change. One hand slyly turned itself where the back was revealed, and Mana warmly hovered her other hand over it where she began to swiftly stroke it along her skin and connecting the smoothness. She caressed it, diagonally skimming her straight fingers over her hand and along the wrist, where it slowly run half way up her arm before dragging back down to the backhand again where it created a luscious warmth that she desired.

It was a sign, and Zazie knew it. Not a sign of stress…or exhaustion…it wasn't even a sign of giving up…no…it was a sign of being human. Mana was cold…wet…and she would even risk her own needs and put others in front of her. No matter how much courage, bravery, determination….success…Mana couldn't overcome the deathly hallows of sickness…of exhaustion…of death. She was pushing herself…she needed to stop pushing herself…even now Zazie knows what she is thinking…that until Negi returned, she wouldn't leave, she would never leave…until confirmation that everything was safe and going according to plan. Then, and only then, would she finally rest herself.

Mana sniffed hard, wheezing in more bacterial fluids and stuffing her nostrils with not only goring stenches, but wretched mucus that eerily produced itself from the conditions Mana was in. She wouldn't be surprised it she caught a cold, or anything worse, after all, it was partly her fault to begin with. "Zazie" she coldly whispered, blasting out another ridiculous amount of thickening condensation that seemed to take longer to disappear each time. The detectable noises of Mana's teeth chitterling together with chilliness was obvious, one of the reasons being that her jaw mildly shook uncontrollably, partially causing the sound in the first place "Y-You don't have to stay you know…I got this covered" informed Mana, thinking that the dismissal of the others hadn't caught Zazie's attention that leaving was an option.

The unfazed girl kept quiet, unwilling to reply. She held her usual stance with both arms politely down by her side…but her head was frozen as she continued to look back and Mana, where from her viewpoint was one side of her pale face. She appropriately blinked, limiting her facial movements while conceding all focus on Mana while still not replying, but rather awaiting another response.

Although she asked the question, Mana expected no response, allowing her not to prepare for anything surprising but instead sum up her next sentence "Look at us" she whispered, turning to Zazie where their eyes aligned and connected "Look at what we are doing to ourselves…to the others" Mana sounded regrettable, gulping a sorrowful thought that leeched onto her "You and me, standing in the blistering cold when the warmth is a few steps behind us" She coughed out a chuckle of awkwardness, simply because there was nothing else to do before turning her head away and back to the pouring rain "What are we doing Zazie?" This time she did expect a response, but still received nothing, forcing her to continue the conversation "Even now, The Virus could be planning to take control of another student, and were just….standing here…preparing to escape" Mana strictly turned her body diagonally towards Zazie, where one hand swiped outwards and slapped the air as it straightened out to the side, with her shivering palm stretched out "I mean, did anyone even consider that The Virus may attempt to stop of? And what of Kotaro? Does everyone expect him to be safe with The First while we just leave him?" Mana tutted with ignorance.

Zazie's eyes sloped down as she pondered a thought, before they quickly jumped back up into Mana's where she could easily tell that the mysterious girl was going to reply without hesitation "And yet you remained silenced by your own beliefs that no one would agree with your prospective" knowledgably replied Zazie, catching Mana in a loop if intelligence.

"W-What do you mean by that?" questioned Mana, stuttering.

"You are afraid that your opinion may differ from others because it puts the plan in jeopardy, that more problems will arise. You are afraid to face the truth…that some puzzles are best left unsolved, so you hide behind lies to make everything better…when inside you feel immobilized to do anything. Fear has blinded the truth from you Mana…that leaving Kotaro behind is necessary for the time being, and that risking the activity of The Virus is…acceptable" impressively replied Zazie in a calm and monotonic tone.

Mana's eyes widened with shock as she gasped "Are you saying…" some unexpected stutters of 'ah' riddled out of Mana's mouth while the uneasiness in her voice grandly increased…in a matter of seconds, Zazie had already broken her opinion and solved it without trouble, as if she was a professional at it "That you agree with me but persist that leaving is the best option?" questioned Mana.

Zazie roughly shrugged, dimming down the conversation and once again making herself scarce to talking. She quietly lifted one finger, where her arm heaved up and her index finger pressed themselves along her red luscious lips to indicate the silence gesture, which once again questioned the girls mysterious motives. It wouldn't have mattered though, not when an unsuspecting event approached with prejudice.

"Mana!" shouted a familiar voice. The echoes of footsteps were launched at them, unsteadily vibrating around them as the sonic wave of sound dispersed. Mana quickly turned to the doorway, while Zazie was more…subtle…keeping her eyesight on Mana for a few more seconds before slowly joining her usual bland expression planted onto her face.

From the doorway, Kaede rushed in with a panicky stance, huffing for breathe as the wild discovery had her in shock. She screeched to a halt halfway in, slapping one palm onto the side of the doorway for support while hunched down as her head deridingly swayed from side to side with speed, changing her sight from Zazie to Mana, back to Zazie where a short paused interfered with her panic before drastically dragging her head back to Mana where she locked onto her.

"Kaede!" shouted Mana, rather strictly "What's happeni-" Mana was cut of as another figure revealed herself. She trembled to look down while Zazie didn't seem bothered, dropping her head and slightly turning to the right where both watched a bright pink colour creep it's head around the sharp corner with nerves.

They watched, as a shivering hand curled around the doorway and grasped onto the chipped, white paint tightly. The hand pulled hard, dragging along the nervous figure of a student less than half the size of Kaede. Her hair sparkled pink, dazzling Mana for mere moments and distracting her senses before she managed to regain them. The student nervously stood beside Kaede, taking shelter under the skilful girls outstretched arm as the pink haired girl cautiously tugged down on her blue skirt that had a strange mixture of a reddish blood colour that created an odd pattern of splatter she wore. Her face was pale, paler than everyone else, and she looked as if she was about to be sick as one hand slid down the doorway and calmly patted against her churning stomach that worryingly rumbled a darkening tone.

"F-Fumika?" whispered Mana.

Fumika sweetly hummed a moan of innocence, slouching her head down to the floor where her eyes stretched up and looked deep into Mana's eyes, as if she was guilty about something and was preparing for her punishment. The amount of fiddling she was producing made it obvious that something had happened, and that she wasn't to keen on talking about it. She deeply exhaled, and had trouble with her eye coordination's as she struggled to look back at Mana with honesty…but Mana could see it…the signs. Fumika's inhales would sniffle at times, indicating that she had been crying…her eyes were watery and she was madly shivering even before revealing herself to them, proving that it wasn't the coldness causing this…but rather fear. Her fiddling began to intensify as the activity grew, as she attempted to distract herself from the distressing experience she had been forced upon. Lastly, Fumika was rarely seen so demolished…she struggled to retain her happy reputation…meaning that something terrible must have happened.

"Fumika, what's wrong?" asked Mana, obviously worried about the pink haired girl.

She remained quiet, much like Zazie. With shyness, she slightly turned her head away, softly slumping her forehead against the hard surface of the doorway as the thought simply created more tears that crept into her eyes.

Mana glared at Fumika with obscurity, deeply troubled by the sweet girls actions. Then, she turned to Kaede who also looked rather…impaled "What happened Kaede?" she asked.

"I found her wondering the halls on my way back to my room De Gozaru" puffed Kaede as her voice trembled "she said something about being attacked while out there with Tankins and Lilason…I think it has something to do with The Virus" explained Kaede.

Suddenly, Fumika surprisingly spoke "I…I…"her words were weak and trembled, completely engulfed with fear. She turned back to Mana and looked up, where her eyes glistened with tears "H-He just…he kissed me and…and I don't know why or how…b-but I ended up in Konoka's room. Ah! W-Where's Fuuka! Is she safe! How did we get back!" panicked Fumika, instantly perking up when remembering the whereabouts of her sister.

"W-Wait…Konoka's room! Did you say Konoka!" questioned Mana.

"Uh…Y-Yes…that's all I remember" whimpered Fumika, disturbingly shivering at the thought of…the earlier experienced she was forced into.

"T-Then that means….No…Zazie, come with me! Kaede, stay here and comfort Fumika…I have a feeling I know where The Virus is now!" admitted Mana.

Without hesitation, Mana rapidly began to run, side stepping past Kaede and Fumika who barely had a chance to nod to confirm Mana's order. Zazie on the other hand remained calm, peacefully blinking twice without a sign of bother and taking a few seconds to reminisce what just happened before proceeding forward with a slow and relaxed pace. If Mana's predictions are right…then The Virus should be in for a big surprise.

* * *

**Monday 4:58AM - The Abandoned Hotel**

Setsuna roamed the dark, lonely hallways, seeking out her designated room she was appointed to when first reaching the daunting, abandoned hotel while at the same time, being carefully cautious about her surroundings. The irony of it was that once setting foot in the hotel, not once had she actually been or even attempted to find refugee from work in the room that was now rightfully hers for the time being, but then again, seeing herself sleep through dangerous and hazard situations that crept through the building was a rare sight to see or even think.

The peak footsteps she took triggered the loose floorboards, causing them to irritatingly squeak with annoyance. Sometimes they made her cringe, in hope that no one was awakened, but other times she would straighten up, unsure on whether she had caused the noise…or someone else.

She was a formable opponent when it came to focusing on her surroundings…but even she couldn't help feel uncomfortable as the uneasy motion of being watched pried into her. It wasn't just one direction…no, Setsuna felt as if every inch of the hall was staring at her with hidden eyes as the illusional walls closed in on her with provoking motives that forced her to huddle herself into a tight squeeze as her arms leeched hard onto her hips and her legs slightly bent with concern.

A mad dash of shuffling could be heard as if someone was skidding from one point of the hall to the next, but the sound sadistically broached itself, illuminating all around Setsuna and forcing her to hastily twist her head back and forth, overlooking her shoulders only to be met with the utter darkness she had strolled through with blind intentions. She showed no signs of fear, but rather concern, bothered by the earlier event that had strangely enough been bestowed upon her. The situation with Konoka…the way she acted…w-was it some kind of trick? Or did Konoka really mean for her actions to be taken seriously…but why! Why so sudden? Something wasn't right…Her Ojou-Sama would never do something do…inappropriate and naïve during a forceful night…not someone as sweet and innocent as her.

A projection of thoughts stained her mind, dulling down possibilities after possibilities to a reasonable solution, until in the end Setsuna was left with nothing but a pondering mind that ached with desire to rest, to sleep…for all this to end. Ha! Why is it that the most desirable things are always the impossible…that's how Setsuna saw it.

She froze and turned to the shallow door. The golden coloured numbers indicating room '30' gleamed brightly as both were hinged into the door with a brownish, rusty nail inaccurately hammered into the white wooden surface without a care. The number three slightly sloped down, loosely hanging onto the barely strengthened nail that struggled to hang on. A simple nudge would do the trick, unbalancing the cold metal where it would heavily fall to the wooden floorboards and create an insolent clinging sound of annoyance.

Setsuna felt a cold drift screech past her, slightly fazing her nerves and forcing her to panicky turn left, then right, examining the shadowy hallway full of dust and seemingly observing the loneliness of abandonment. There was nothing in her viewable sight…nothing close or far, and the sound had dimmed into silence…everything was clear, allowing her to sigh with relief as she turned back to the sloppy door.

As she leaned forward and began lifting her weak arm, Setsuna noticed the greasy looking door handle reflecting the image of herself and the very limited light that surveyed around her. She continued to stare, examining the state she was in and propounding how a few hours sleep…is she could get any…would actually help. The heavy blue bags under her eyes dragged the eyelids down, where Setsuna inevitably closed her eyes and further darkened the view. The feeling felt wonderful and mutual. She sighed with grief before opening her eyes again where her viewpoint poked at the mirrored door handle again…but this time…what she saw didn't resemble the past image.

Setsuna's eyes widened with a fright, straining the blood cells to there boiling point as they hung on by a thread. The petrifying image had Setsuna speechless as she witnessed a sinister brown haired girl camouflage into the darkness behind her, barely becoming visible as two red beams of light shot at the reflective handle and deep into Setsuna's dilated pupils of fear. The brown haired girl easily resembled Konoka as a devilish grin eerily stretched itself outwards, loathing the sight of the swordsman while continued to stare with the blood red eyes…as she continued to wait, absorbing the radiating fear factors of Setsuna that exploded. The nerving whisper of "Set-Chan…" devastatingly echoed around Setsuna's mind, distracting her for mere moments as the disturbing situation engulfed her. A sick exhale escaped the figures mouth…and Setsuna felt the warmth of it send chills down her spine.

Just before she could even attempt to move, in the corner of her eye as she began to turn, she observed the familiar figure as it lunged forward, revealing the recognisable clothes of Konoka that resembled the turquoise buttoned shirt with the same bunnies patterned around it and overwhelmed the reflective door handle with nothing but her body, as if about to pounce the swordsman.

Setsuna anxiously gasped while rapidly turning "Ojou-Sama!" she pleaded, lifting her arms high to defend herself…during the horrific moment, Setsuna wondered why she even called out the healers name…this…wasn't Konoka. Fully turned now, Setsuna's eyes cringed as she prepared for the unsuspecting attack…only to be met with the same darkness as before, and nothing more. Her breathing dramatically intensified as her worn down eyes struggled to open wide again, desperately swaying her eyes from side to side, studying the shadowy atmosphere that seemed to be empty. But…that's not possible…she saw something…it was on the reflection!

And yet it remained quiet and abandoned. Setsuna was alone, and nothing was in sight. The figure was gone…It was as if it was never there in the first place! Setsuna took a numbing step forward, unsteadily waving her flat palm through the open, thinning air as freckles of whimpers whined out…even she experienced fear…especially if it involved her Ojou-Sama…s-she was here…and worst of all…she was unprotected. Her head once again swayed to the left and right, this time carefully examining the damp hallway and attempting to spot anything suspicious and…unusual…only to come back empty handed…the hallway was empty…Setsuna…was alone.

Feeling distraught, she heaved her back against the door for support and began leaning down with exhaustion, slouching, where her heavy eyes once again closed as Setsuna dragged one arm high, gently slapping her straightened palm along her forehead and cheek while covering her right eye with immobility where her fingers curled around her head and dug into her smooth skin for a secure but uncomforting grip. She sighed again, this time with sorrow. Maybe…maybe it was just her imagination…lack of sleep…constant worries for Konoka…it wouldn't be a surprise if she was illusional…half the time her vision was blurry…

The rapid heartbeats narrowly sustained themselves from bursting out of Setsuna's chest as she felt them bash into her ribcage, gnashing across the defensive structure and pulling themselves back into the physically active heart. Still flattening her palm along her soft face, Setsuna clenched her hand into a fist, where she began to rub the yellow crustiness that trickily edged itself in the corner of her eyes near the tear ducts. She rubbed hard, scraping her knuckles hard against her shattered eye socket and digging into the lousy sleep, flickering away any uncomforting crust.

Setsuna heavily sighed. As she slyly positioned both arms back down by her side and straightened up, her head momentarily remained sloped down with enervation as she surveyed the crooked wooden floorboards covered with eerie dust. Only then did she notice something extraordinary. A few inches away from where she tiredly stood, was a barely visible footprint, clearly created by someone or…something as it slowly faded away from the amount of dust covering itself over it again.

"_N-No…" _pondered Setsuna, unable to believe it _"It must have been created by me…" _she revealed, trying to convince herself.

Shivering at the sight as a warm tingle fuzzily crept down her spine, Setsuna began to turn, where she once again faced the white wooden door that had the same golden numbered hinging off. Hesitating at first, Setsuna staggered her arm up, where it gripped onto the circular reflective handle. The feeling of disorientation got to her, forcing the skilled swordsman to freeze for a moment while reminiscing the recent events. First the incident with Konoka acting…unusual…around her…and now she was seeing things…was it possible that she was imagining her desires and created a fatal flaw in her saneness?

W-was she losing it…and putting others in danger? B-But…that's not possible…is it? Mana also interacted with the illusional Konoka…it all just didn't make sense.

She stared at the door with a burning sensation, as if looking right through it and amazed by something. While doing so, her grip on the handle strictly tightened, causing it to start madly shaking as Setsuna's palm quivery vibrated with chilliness from the cold metal. The cold sensation shot into her hand and completely dimmed down any heat, striving along her long, unsteady arm until halting at the shoulder. She didn't know why it was happening…perhaps she was just to spooked by the earlier incident to even care about minor situations such as coldness…or rest.

Then, without warning, a wonderful feeling of warmth softly overwhelmed the back of Setsuna's palm like a blanket. The sudden surge of delicacy awakened Setsuna's senses again as the unsuspecting surprise easily caught her attention…and it felt perfect as the her luscious skin absorbed the warmth, giving her a slight tingle of pleasure. She blinked twice with realisation before very slowly drawing her head downwards, seeking out the source of warmth.

Looking over to the handle, Setsuna's eyes sparked open with nervousness as she witnessed a small, fragile and very smooth palm gently run itself over hers with deviousness. A silent and weak gasp escaped her mouth as Setsuna began running her eyes along the outstretched arm that was coloured a blue turquoise mixed with white bunnies patterned around it. She knew who it was…and yet it still remained mysterious in a way. Continuing, she gulped as her sight reached the pumped out chest of Konoka, causing Setsuna to quickly panic as her face blushed with a cherry redness while heaving her eyesight up to Konoka, who's head sweetly tilted sideways while innocently smiling…the same smile that Setsuna could never resist.

There was a short awkward silence before Setsuna finally noticed the contact between their hands, forcing her to gently pull her hand away from the handle and back down by her side, separating Konoka's warm glowing aura and raising hope that it didn't affect her beloved Konoka. Her silky hand gracefully slope onto the handle "Set-Chan" the memorising tone of her Ojou-Sama's sweetening rhythm slightly perked Setsuna up, but at the same time made her feel burdened as a hint of disappointment and desperation was detected in the short and simple sentence "Are you ok Set-Chan? You don't look very well" adorably asked Konoka, seeming concerned as her head leaned in, closer to Setsuna's face.

"O-Ojou-Sama…H-H-How did you…" Setsuna's remarkable facial expressions changed from confused to weary…she could have sworn that no one was around…and no footsteps were heard. Her head slightly shifted to the right, looking behind Konoka as determining if she could have quietly approached in such a short time…but her conclusion seemed improbable as she looked back into Konoka's eyes "How did you get here?" worryingly asked Setsuna, still blushing.

"Mmm?" An innocent hum, one that she found irresistible, but also a way to figure out that Konoka was confused "What do you mean Set-Chan?" Once again, Konoka roamed even closer, enough that Setsuna could feel the warm exhales of her breathe onto her with lusciousness. At the same time, an irrational click was suddenly heard as Konoka twisted the door handle, unlocking the room "I was always here…and I was always with you…I just wanted to…talk" deeply exhaled Konoka.

"N-No…" immediately responded Setsuna "Ojou-Sama, you s-shouldn't be here. It is far too dangerous, you will be safer in your roo-"

Setsuna could do nothing but watch as Konoka hushed a soothing rhythm while straightening her index finger out, where it sedately pressed themselves Setsuna's red, lush lips "Shhh…I don't want to be alone Set-Chan…I'm afraid" Her weak voice was very convincing "I want to…be…with you…I want to…be….you. Please, let me in Set-Chan, I just want someone to talk to" pleaded Konoka with a quiet whisper.

Whether Setsuna accepted or rejected Konoka's request, she had no say in the matter as Konoka began pushing herself into her, forcing Setsuna to slowly back away to avoid inappropriate contact into the unlocked door that creaked open, slowly swinging outwards each step Setsuna took while quiet whimpers of concern and…arousement, began taken her over. She wanted to decline, she really did…but her desires stuttered her to reply…and there was no way she could forcefully push her beloved Ojou-Sama away…she couldn't do such a violent thing to the girl she vowed to protect.

_"S-She's so forceful…w-what do I do!"._

"Ah…Ahh…K-Kono-Ah!" Setsuna clumsily stumbled on her own feet, staggering back and barely keeping her balance as she waved her arms around until regaining full mobility, where her uncontrollably blushing face anxiously looked around the dusty, unknown room for a moment, in hope for some kind of distraction…but alas, there was nothing. "O-Ojou-Sama, I must protest to this act of unusualness from you…please, if we must talk, then we can do so without the…explicitness" exclaimed Setsuna.

Still smiling without showing a sign of bother, Konoka pleasantly entered the room, swinging her hips with sly force "But Set-Chan" a withered exhale of words. Setsuna witnessed Konoka creep one hand behind her back, where her fingers clamped onto the edge of the door, carefully and quietly pushing it back until the small click indicated it's closure. She continued to sadistically watched the manipulated Setsuna, strafing her delicate fingers higher up from the door handle to the small lock, where she twisted the golden metal and produced a clanking sound as the door became locked and disclosed from the outside "Where is the fun in that?" grinned Konoka.

"_S-Somethings not right…Ojou-Sama is never this agentive…I…I just don't know what to do…I can't predict her next move, I can't persuade her…force is not an option…she has…trapped me…this cannot happen…it isn't aloud to happen! I…I…I am failing my Ojou-Sama…ugh…s-she's becoming to what I have feared, and what I have sickly desired…" _shamefully thought Setsuna.

A few steps closer, Setsuna unsettlingly leaped back with urgency, roughly bashing against the yellow wall where she fiercely bounced off it and staggered a small step forward as she watched Konoka approach with supplement.

Then…Konoka's sweet and innocent smile turned into a distressing frown "I'm afraid Set-Chan" the words perked Setsuna up with suspense…this sounded a lot more like Konoka now "I'm afraid that my enemies will threaten and hurt me…" she whispered as The Virus referred it's enemies to the protectors…but Setsuna didn't know that, which was deeply troubling for her "I don't want to be alone…p-please…don't leave me alone" stuttered Konoka as The Virus realised how…un-Konoka-like it was being, toning down it's desires and becoming her.

"O-Ojou-Sama…w-what do you mean?" questioned Setsuna, feeling rather less stressed now that Konoka was acting more normal.

"I mean…" Konoka caressingly approached the swordsman, adorably stroking her long, brown, flowing hair as it slouched over her shoulder "I want you to protect me Set-Chan…I want to be with you…to be…you…for my protection" sadistically whispered Konoka, now standing in front of the nervous Setsuna who's gulp was easily heard.

"W-What?" concurringly stuttered Setsuna, becoming slightly fazed by the words 'To be you' "Ojou-Sama…I mean no disrespect but…you are making no sense…I t-think it would be appropriate it I transported you back to your room…y-you need rest…you seem dazed…please, let me safely escort you…I will protect you with my life" comforted Setsuna.

"Oh Set-Chan" quietly giggled Konoka, at the same time a slight hint of pleasure was detected. With Setsuna restraining herself to the wall, she was helpless but to watch as Konoka roamed her face closer to hers, pleasurably licking her soft, red lips while doing so "It will make sense to you in due time…My Set-Chan" whispered Konoka, exhaling over Setsuna's cramped face of redness.

"_Do it now…she will not fend of the one she seeks to protect…become one with the winged beast…become….whole" _sinisterly thought The Virus.

"I can understand your…stress…Set-Chan. The infection starting again…Kotaro being attacked and knocked unconscious…let me…'help' you…let me give you what you want and relieve…" Konoka leaned forward even closer, preparing to connect her wet lips with Setsuna's luscious lips "Your stress…" she exhaled again, this time in a darker tone.

Konoka pushed forward, where The Virus deviously laughed in her mind as it watched her lips about to touch Setsuna's…as it prepared the grisly transaction…but…things didn't go according to plan. As The Virus continued to heave Konoka's lifeless body forward, a strained struggle began as she froze, only an inch away from Setsuna's lips. No matter how hard it tried, Konoka wouldn't move, causing her to blink twice with confusion while The Virus's anger increased.

"_W-Why wont she….gah! S-So close…What is happening!" _growled The Virus.

Her teeth began to cringe with effort while her face began to burn red with exhaustion. Quiet but easily noticeable grunts of annoyance escaped her mouth as Konoka's view remained on Setsuna, who's facial expression turned from fearful to…serious. She didn't looked scared, or regrettable…but rather…furious "How did you know about Kotaro's current state?" strictly asked Setsuna.

The Virus forcefully opened Konoka's eyes with realisation…it…made a mistake? No…NO…Not now! It was so close to perfecting a worth while host…NOT NOW!

Konoka's expressions sunk into a pit of despair as The Virus drowned in it's own rage, causing Konoka to quickly slope her head down and away from Setsuna's view where it attempted to hide it's obvious worries. Only then did The Virus witness why Konoka had been stopped…unsteadily but firmly pushing against her chest was Setsuna's rough, tightly gripped palm that had intensely been slapped onto her Ojou-Sama's clothing with ignorance. Konoka quickly gasped with desperation "W-What do you mean S-Set-Chan…Uh…Y-You're hurting me!" lied The Virus, hoping that Setsuna's fear would cause her to stumble and open an opportunity to enter her system.

"My force is not nearly enough to harm anyone, only to restrain them…You're not Konoka!" growled Setsuna, exposing The Virus.

Konoka's jaw dropped with shock, only supporting Setsuna's bickering verdict as she discreetly glared at her with fury…she had been toyed with…her love, had been toyed with…it was not acceptable!

"_So much work…SO…MUCH…WORK…wasted. The pain of living in a pitiful excuse of host's and interacting with the wretched humans without a shed of blood…FOR NOTHING? WHAT KIND OF WITCHERY IS THIS? I WAS SO CLOSE! SO CLOSE! No…I still have a chance…I needs to escape! T-That's right…she wont harm the girl I currently possess…Ha…HAHA…I…I can escape through the door…y-yes…find another host…a more powerful host…kill them all….ALL OF THEM!"_ screeched The Virus, going into a mental shock of disbelief.

The Virus apprehensively swirled Konoka's pale eyes left to right while deeply breathing as it studied the room for an escape. It was still inches away from Setsuna's lips…but it was in no position to strike, not when it had been discovered…not when one of the more subtle protectors furiously watched it's every movement…daring it to attack so that she could just tear it apart with her mighty blade…there was only one path it could take, and it was the dream crushing path.

Without warning, Konoka deeply held her breath as she pushed herself against the self esteemed Setsuna, dangerously leaping backwards where a quiet squeal squeezed out of her mouth and narrowly avoiding a risky contact with the obstacles that stood in her way. The pink fluffy slippers she wore began sliding along the frictional red carpet, screeching with effort to a halt as Konoka's back lightly bumped into the locked door.

Setsuna frantically took a step forward "Who are you!" demanded Setsuna, taking another eerie step "Where is Konoka!".

The unbalances of the healers face was sloppy as her head motionlessly swung downwards, casting a shadow over her face as her view glared at the floor, where two red beams once again emerged from her glistening eyes. A quiet chuckle escaped her mouth where Setsuna watched a menacing grin stretch itself out, shortly followed by the dramatic increase in laughter as it became unstable and louder, as if Konoka had lost all saneness…truth was, she hadn't…but The Virus certainly was "Set-Chan…" ghastly whispered Konoka "Set-Chan Set-Chan Set-Chan" her words repeated and overlapped themselves, where Konoka's voice became illuminated as another took over and joined hers. It crept Setsuna out, but she showed no signs of bother. Konoka's head violently curled up, purposely straining higher up where her view hit the ceiling for a few moments before sickly turning side to side as if her neck was numbingly broken until her view froze at Setsuna "I am Konoka, you premature wretch" Konoka's tongue poked out, causing Setsuna to twitch.

"That's a lie!" snapped Setsuna "Release Konoka at once or I'll-"

"Or you'll what!" quickly intervened The Virus "Are you going to attack me? Go ahead…hit me Set-Chan…insert your blade into me…harm your…Ojou-Sama" a devilish smirk appeared at the sight of Setsuna stuttering and faltering "You are weak. Pathetic…I truly thought you may be the one who could destroy those who oppose me…who could sustain a worthy being such as myself inside your delicate system…you are trapped, and so shall it happen. We will become one, whether you allow me to…or I simply find threaten the girls life" explained The Virus.

"W-What!" panicked Setsuna.

"I control your precious lover. Her actions, her brain waves…ahh yessss…." sickly exhaled The Virus

"She is indeed flawless…an articulated figure of power. But a simple 'mistake' by me, and her life will become useless. I will disconnect her from the future, immunizing both of us to a petty excuse of pitiful beings" threatened The Virus.

"Y-You wont do it…you may have dared to toy around with my love like the immature creature you are…but not even you would destroy yourself…I shall not allow you to harm my Ojou-Sama!" replied Setsuna.

"Are you willing to take that risk!" questioned The Virus, making it obvious that he was being rhetorical "No…of course not…the white winged beast is too soft…to tender with purity…how delicious. Your ripeness will disintegrate with the hormonic infestation of the virus itself…you will be overwhelmed with satisfying pleasure as I enter your veins…as I tranform you into the creature you were meant to be….ME…WE WERE MEANT TO BE! TO BE ONE! I will trifle down your throat with a devious intention. I will use your hands to physically and mentally harm your beloved one and so many other insolent humans that dare stand before me…that mock me by living…BY LIVING BEFORE MY INFECTIOUS DISEASE" hectically laughed The Virus.

Suddenly, three loud knocks pounded against the door with desperation "Setsuna!" called a panicky voice "Setsuna, The Virus is in Konoka!" alerted the voice, familiarly sounding similar to Mana's voice…simply because it was Mana, who fiercely clawed Setsuna's locked door with hope that she wasn't too late.

"_No…NO! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE! HOW DID THEY DISCOVER MY PRESENCE WITHIN THE BUILDING…HOW DID THEY PREDICT MY MOTIVES AND ACTIONS!"._

"You're trapped" informed Setsuna, sounding rather proud "I told you…I will not allow you to harm Konoka!" warned Setsuna.

"Tsk…no…nooo….you don't undersssstand" hissed The Virus, eagerly slurring Konoka's words "This isn't happening…I…will…escape".

All of a sudden, thanks to the earlier examination of the room, Konoka viciously twisted her body, where her feet achingly pushed hard against the re carpet and causing her to ferociously impale the thin air. Her body majestically twirled, and Setsuna could do nothing but watch with horror as The Virus used it's host as a battering ram, crashing through the brown drawn blinds and shattering the crystal clear window where Konoka's fingers scraped against the white paint of the outside of the hotel. Her body twirled, flexibly twisting until both palms attached themselves on the chipped wall, where she began to climb it like a leeched spider.

The shattered glass roughly broke into hundreds of pieces, scattering across the floor and twinkling in the corner of Setsuna's eyes as she gasped with grief. Immediately, she raced over towards the window, where her hard footwear crumpled on top of the broken glass and producing a crackling sound. Without hesitation, her head poked out the window, where the nauseating smell of rotten flesh forced Setsuna to grisly cough with sickness. Her hand lifted, where she covered her mouth and nose, but the smell remained, making her stomach turn with pain. She strained to turned, where she managed to catch The Virus creep into another window on the third floor.

The awry rain of gunk dribbled onto her exposed face, causing the bacterial infection to sorely dig into her skin for mere moments, where it created irritating stinging sensations that forced Setsuna to pull her head back in. She would never be able to climb…not with the mysterious rain and hostile winds combined and knocking into the knackered girl.

_"The stairs" _she smartly thought.

She ran, as fast as she could to the white door. Her unsteady hand rapidly pulled back the lock and shunted the handle down, instantly creating the quick clicking sound and swinging the door open, only to be met with a distressed Mana and a rather calm Zazie who both impatiently stood in the darkened hallway.

"Setsuna, what's hap-"

Before Mana could finish her sentence, Setsuna irrationally pushed her to one side, causing her to stagger back into Zazie where both gently connected. Submissively holding back a grudge for all the right reasons, Mana watched the rushed swordsman disappear into the shadows as she trembled further down the darkened hallways.

Setsuna heaved herself up the stairs, where a traumatising sight awaited her. Reaching the top, she looked down to the bottom of the hallway where the open window flourished with a dimmed greyish light that sprayed onto the wooden floorboards….but that wasn't the only thing.

As thunder and lighting clashed, sparking a daunting sound of nature that flared a yellowish colour through the window, rain splashed onto the dusty surface of the floorboards…inches away from the unconscious body of Konoka. Her luscious hair partially covered the facial structure of the sweet girl, but even Setsuna could tell that her eyes were closed with exhaustion. Her chest lightly breathed in and out, indicating that she was alive but unconscious…The Virus was gone…but the discovery sparked a new question…where was the menacing beast of death now?

* * *

**Few, i'm so glad this chapter is finished. I found the ending rather hard to write for some reason.**

**Anyways, The Virus has left Konoka, but has found another host! Who could it be! Find out on the next chapter where the escape begins, and the action and story builds up more!**

**Any reviews will be appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	16. The Calm Before The Storm

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday - 9:05AM - The Abandoned Hotel**

It was the calm before the storm. The fancy obstacles that stood before the elegant double doors had quietly and carefully been removed just moments before everyone had gathered, where they would tensely wait for the unappealing plan that some named suicidal, and others just accepted that it was the last option that neither the protectors or students wanted, but instead needed.

It was traumatising, for everyone, to watch the stale doors rock back and forth, rustling with tremendous force, followed by the ghastly groans and cries of the undead that sadistically smelled the blood and sweat of fear blasting out of the hotel like a furnace, radiating the irreversible sweetening taste of fresh flesh that hazardly caused the infected's instincts to hostelry go insane with uncontrollably rage while they analysed the mouth watering senses they received. The numbers that pounded themselves against the weakening doors was indecent, unanswerable if needed to no one, but in the end, no one wanted to know. Why? Not only was the sickening sounds of bone crunching pounds against the door terrifying the girls, but the eerie commotion of gnarling finger nails screeching themselves across the wooden surface like a chalkboard, chipping away at the barely containable was enough to hurt their ears and make their weary stomach churn.

The moans were discreet and heftily unrecognisable, repeating the same sound over and over like a tap player without any motive to the actual cry for help. Each time the moans grew longer and more darkening, causing most of the crowded girls that huddled close to each other to flinch with horrific realisation that at any moment, the cracking door would cave in, letting in the monstrous creatures that desired nothing but the awry death of others. To feed, to listen to the harmonic screams, they would never stop until every…single…one of them were deceased…until they became one with the Virus and it's minions.

To everyone's fright, the doors rustling boldly sharpened, becoming a coordinated pattern of bodies smashing into the wooden surface and causing greater impact with intellectual knowledge that would soon turn the feeble attempt to break in into an full frontal force of undead. They were watching…they were learning, that the current technique of body bashing wasn't inflicting full potential…and that working together would surely work. It was intriguing, that such inorganic creatures with the intelligence and memory of a fish could learn one thing so quickly, and forget the next even quicker, but intriguing wasn't the word everyone found acceptable…no…resilient perhaps, disturbing, yes.

The detectable whimpers of the sorrowful students echoed as sound waves vibrated through the walls until escaping along the small gaps exposed through the doors, only to hype the infected up further. It wasn't just the students though. The protectors, although reassured that they had gained at least a few hours sleep to prepare themselves, easily showed signs of concern and worries as some of them such as Setsuna and Ku Fei eerily quivered with neglected thoughts while others like Mana and Takamichi boycotted the uneasy feeling of fear surging through their nerve system. But as usual, Zazie was the quiet one, the mysterious one who showed pure bravery as she took position near the front, absolutely stunning those around her as not even the slightest flinch of bother or care could be seen shedding of her. It was as if she was blinded from the horror, deafened from the ghastly groans that would normally affect any other normal student with prejudice…but like so many others…Zazie wasn't normal…no…she was so much more that had yet to be discovered.

Hearts raced with the urge to stay within the seemingly safe walls protected by the presence of those who are willing to sacrifice their needs for others, it was a comforting thought, but unknowing to them that staying is certain death one way or another, with or without the protectors. Truth was…they were aware, they were just like them, with the same desires to be protected, and that's where they rely on the others to keep calm and help them concentrate without becoming a bother.

There were others, people who simply couldn't handle the pressure without some kind of guidance. Akiras was one of them. Being one of the defenceless girls that in no way could fend for herself, she was unwillingly clinged to the front of the group behind certain protectors so that she would be first on the nearest bus. Either way, she wasn't a problem, nor was she helping with the progress of escaping, for ever since being separated from her motherly figure Evangeline, Akiras had literally remained quiet since reaching the hotel, bracingly sobbing tears of traumatisation while being forced to pair up with students she barely remembered or even embraced while numbingly experiencing the heart breaking perseverance of pain. Very little known faces were available…Setsuna was apart of the chain that surrounded the survivors with the knowledge that their lives were in her hands and became a heavy burden weighing her down…Chachamaru had been left with Evangeline, even Konoka was rather weary and nervous, rending her useless to even keep watch over the blonde haired girl. Everyone Akiras had become close to were occupied or gone…leaving her…abandoned.

Since returning to the hotel, she was offered a cosy room where her shivering body linguistically absorbed the wonderful heat that sprouted out from the room. It was a comforting feeling, especially since Nodoka was her room mate…the shy purple haired girl really related to her in ways that made her feel…connected…and submissive to embracing the mystical mind reader with open arms. But that didn't stop the tears streaming down her soft cheeks with hostility, where it would usually upset Nodoka with a dreading soreness, pondering the thoughts that nothing she could say would help while offering to keep Akiras safe and confident by cuddling the lost child and softly rocking her to sleep like a baby. Nodoka's voice was certainly sweet and soothing, making it easy to doze off while her soft voice hypnotized her into a deep sleep. Akiras had no idea whether she received any sleep or not, simply because half the time her slumber was disturbed by screaming nightmares that caused her to whimper Nodoka awake, where both snuggled into one another for reassurance and sharing warmth that they pleasantly enjoyed.

Standing straight and looking determined, Nodoka abruptly looked over the shoulder of Lilason and faced the wricked doors, causing her to loudly gulp with inferior concern as her red lips madly quivered and her teeth cluttered against each other. She was also one of the biggest priorities to get onto the bus first, but that didn't make her feel any more safe or comfortable.

A sudden rough tug to the side caught her attention. She gracefully turned, smoothly swaying her short luscious her with her where it partially covered her forehead and eyes as she sloped her head down, redirecting her sight to the source of the tug. It was Akiras, who had one arm securely wrapped around Nodoka's with a tight squeeze ever since they arrived on the first floor. The hard tug had pulled her closer where the side of her head gently leaned against the threaded violet jacket she wore, causing Akiras's hair to slightly pile on top of itself and entangle itself…she really did look tired. The secular squawking sound could be heard as Akiras sucked hard on her thumb that poked out like a nail, swiftly sliding inward and outwards and becoming covered with wet saliva that she didn't seem too bothered by. It made her look innocent…but it also made Nodoka feel guilty that in such a calm and motionless mood, she was going to have to be forced to run through the hordes of undead, whether she liked it or not. She could only hope that Akiras would follow without going of course, otherwise they would be forced to separated as one of the protectors took her of Nodoka's hands. Neither of them wanted that…it was strange…but only after a few hours, they both felt connected like a mother and daughter…perhaps it was just the accidental manipulation that radiated of Akiras, to seek a motherly figure. She had already lost two…Nodoka couldn't imagine how Akiras was feeling right now. Devastated…heart broken…abandoned…it was indescribable and the purple haired girl felt ambivalent for even being considered, or acknowledged as 'motherly' to the neglected child.

Another infamous face amongst the minority of them was the same women that had befriended Kotaro just days earlier, and the same women who had lost her husband that very same day. A flicker of life sparked in the poor old women, with her wriggled wrinkles sinking deep into her skin and partially overlapping one another with grouchiness, only the topic of the one named Sasik would her presence perk up with eagerness as she reminisced the wonderful moments they had together…both good and bad. It was Lesora, who mildly squeezed into the first row of desperate students while her hunched back poked high into the air with eeriness.

The only true interaction she had offered since coming in contact with everyone else was the worrying sound of violent coughs that sprayed out of her mouth with viciousness as the sound of her wheezing for oxygen sickly overwhelmed everyone with concern for the lonely elderly women. The bacterial germs she spread would be caught though, by her weak and barely stable fist that smudged itself against her open, pale lips and catching the infectious disease she may have. Only time would tell…she was rather quiet, which from Kotaro's prospective wasn't like her at all…apparently, from his point of view, before all this happened, she was a sweet old women who brought a satanic feeling of joy that flourished into the available atmosphere. But now…she was alone, and preferred to remain quiet for the little time she believed to have left. No matter who offered her any assistance or comfort, she would politely accept…simply responding to "No thanks dear" or "That's very kind of you, but I must decline" before turning away and hiding her expressible sadness that she bottled up.

The protectors, although barely restless, managed to stubbornly get themselves up from their gentle slumber that at the time, felt absolutely heavenly as they lay their knackered heads into the fluffy, white pillows, sinking into the feathered softness where the dragging bags under their eyes could finally be resolved as they slammed their eyes shut with relief. It wasn't as easy as they all thought though. Some like Kaede and Mana who were use to waking up early for specific reasons were use to the after affects, shrugging off the doziness with little trouble as their blurry vision warily cleared up in a matter of seconds where as others…including Ku Fei and Setsuna, who once awakening were hit with an scaring headache that scorched like a fire in their head while struggling to open their sticky eyes thanks to the irritating yellow crust that dug deep into their sockets with frustration…but even so, they eventually regrouped…and here they are now, ready, dreading the approaching monsters that stirringly shrieked with disgusting spitefulness.

It was a daring but intelligent formation. The bravado of courageous protectors who were not only willing to take on the ferocious hordes in the positions they were assigned, but also because it was best suited for them to be in the correctional alignment to which they thought would be most appropriate and sensible to get the students to the bus safely without any problems would hastily get the job done. The front consisted of Lilason and Mana, the only two who insisted on being the bait mainly because they had the long range weapons in which would keep many infected back as they slowly progressed forward, seeking cover from the people beside them, or face certain suffering from the treacherous flesh tearing creatures.

Mana, who looked better from before thanks to the little sleep she was able to receive, which in her eyes was a great accomplishment…it's not everyday you sleep through the haunting moan and groans of infected while rain viciously smashed against the fragile window, calmly leaned back on the wall nearest to the rowdy doors with bravery. Her steady arms crossed into each other and her heavy eyes closed while nodding her head down as she concentrated hard on remaining subtle and calm, so that the others wouldn't panic to the true reactions she desperately held in, that she was petrified and nervous…that someone may get hurt. The thick, black jacket she wore wasn't zipped up, but instead folder over, obviously hiding away the concealed weapons she securely strapped on the inside of the loose threads. The big bulges sifted through the fabric, producing light but easily visible gun shaped patterns that outlined itself the outer layer on the black jacket.

One eye squeamishly opened, where Mana shifted her view to the right and caught the sight of Negi, who was also positioned near the front, besides Nodoka. He held his staff upwards, stumping the end of it onto the flourished carpet and creating a light thumping sound that was barely heard over the groans of the undead. Both of his unsteady hands grasped around the wooden surface, one sitting on top of the other while the grip on it tightened each passing second as Negi twiddled around with it, twisting it side to side with a nervous motive. It wasn't that he couldn't fend for himself, but the fact that the task required a fast paced progress to proceed without caution so that the students could get onto the buses as quick as possible, it would make sense if Negi rather transported them instead of protect them. If blurting out magical words and blazing blasts of energy from his staff, it would easily distract the fascinated students, slightly fazing them and disclosing the pattern of movement which would hold everyone up, further risking them being pounced or attacked by the infected. But even worse, the protectors wouldn't be able to hold of the unlimited hordes forever…it would only be a matter of time before one fell, creating a gap in the defensive structure and opening a passage where the infected would pour in, endangering many of the survivors.

Mana softly exhaled through her nostrils "Hey Negi" she called out "How are you holding up?" asked Mana, noticing the unsettling nerves gnash against Negi. It may have been the tragic answer he was forced to endure by Evangeline to leave her behind…it may be the known fact that he was going to be rendered useless during the entire escape, unable to use his abilities because it was faze those around him…either way, it was bothering him.

The young mage shot his puppy eyes up at Mana as if shocked by something, looking very glum as his frown sunk deep down into an irrational look of concern that numbingly strained itself. His pupil shribbled into a tiny circle with many noticeable blood cells all stretching into it, showing just how seriously he was taking all this. He looked ready to collapse…did Negi even receive any sleep in the little time they had? The wicked sound of white teeth grinding with force murmured out of his closed, quivering lips, where Negi continued to stare up at Mana with an irrational behaviour of indecency from the simple yet patronising question to answer "Ah…Mana" his words slurred. Negi released one grip from his staff, sliding it up the wooden surface until he pulled it back and onto his chin, beginning to stroke in with urgency, just another sign that he received no sleep "I feel so useless…" his head sloped down with shame "I can't even protect my students anymore" whispered Negi.

An eyebrow lifted as Mana understood why Negi was reacted so…negative…he feels like he is being more of a burden than a help now "You shouldn't say such things about yourself" replied Mana. She roughly pushed herself against the wall and began thumping her heavy black boots against the floor, creating a vibration that everyone felt. Halting at Negi, who felt the wrath of wind created by Mana whistle past him with a relieved motive, she crouched down to his level, where both became face to face, glaring deep into one another's eyes. Negi looked up and gulped, fazed by the amount of space between them.

"But it's true…here I am, huddling together with the girls who rely on their teacher to keep them safe…but instead I am forced to reconcile, to hide behind those who need my help. I'm unable to use my abilities to clear a safe passage for the students…to honour my vow to keep them from harm, from the infected…" An envious chuckle of sadistic realisation scorned out of his mouth with regret…but what more could he do? "I couldn't protect Kazumi…S-Satomi…Sa-Satsuki…I wasn't there to protect them" He perked up, but in a rather distraughting way "E-Even Evangeline! I…I'm leaving her in this blasted civilisation of undead creatures, the very thing we are fighting and defending the students from!" Strictly mourned Negi's voice, alerting some of the other afraid students that all flinched to his sudden snap "What good am I but a burden to everyone?" explained Negi, saddening himself.

Mana sighed, looking over Negi's shoulder while doing so. She witnessed the students frightfully turn, remorsing the words they had heard and joining Negi's sadness. They missed their fellow classmates…they missed freedom, and now because of them, Negi was becoming upset. Many students, Ayaka, Ako, Yue, Natumi, they all tilted their heads away with a mournful atmosphere surrounding them, drenched in neglecting resilience…if one of them were sad, they were all sad…just like the family they were. Mana's eyes cringed as she lifted her hand high, smothering her soft palm and fingers across her mouth with perseverance and concern…she knew how they felt…the only difference was…she could handle it, which greatly endangered everyone to the point of pressurised instincts to go insane, to lose hope.

Her eyes sloped down with sorrow while she continued to rub around her mouth, being consumed with utter hostility before shifting her head to the side. Now looking towards the left of Negi, Mana sloped her head further up, where the humble Nodoka swayed into her sight as she watched her look down at Negi with guilt and distraught. She looked ready to shed a tear as twinkles glistened brightly in the corner of her eye, which mentally harmed Mana…it just showed how much suffering everyone was experiencing…and how hurt everyone had become.

Turning back to Negi, she grunted, softly clearing her throat and sniffled hard as the earlier predicament she had with the ran and cold weather had produced the eerie mucus that trifled itself up her nostrils, creating an unsatisfying discomfort that forced Mana to cough, gristle and sniff with sickness. Her voice may be lower in tone and harder to understand, but she still had her diplomatic facial posture that showed everything "Negi…I…ah…" a short pause as Mana stuttered "Let me tell you something" Mana's voice lowered, becoming quieter as she noticed some of the students still listening "I…We…all of us, wouldn't be here without you. You remember…don't you? You remember it all. At the very beginning, when we escaped Mahora Academy , you led most of the infected away. Do you remember Negi? If it wasn't for you, there would have been too many…we would have been over run…we wouldn't have saved Takamichi or Fuuka and Fumika. And what about Akiras? It you hadn't shown up, when we were all separated, she wouldn't be here now, and I'm certain Evangeline wouldn't be the same…" Mana flung one hand over Negi, patting her soft palm against head and scuffling his red, stringy hair around "Without your assistance, I don't know where I would be right now" she gave him a sweet smile that caused Negi to blush as a warm tingly feeling surged through his system "We all love you Negi, and no matter what, you will never be a burden…no one here, will become a burden. What's done is done, what's going to happen will happen…so let's do it together" winked Mana.

"Y-You really mean that…don't you?" questioned Negi, sniffling "B-But…I want to help now…this task is suicidal without more firepower and I must be honest…" another short pause, racking up the tense moment "With what we have now…I don't think it's enough to succeed" admitted Negi.

"You must understand Negi, risks have to be taken. You and I both know that the safety of this hotel is at a critical standstill…we cannot predict what's going to happen next, and it could happen at anytime. I'm not willing to stand and watch as the safety of the students slips away…we can do this Negi, if we work together and keep the pace going, the students will be on the buses in no time and the protectors will have no trouble keeping some mindless inhumane creature with only two brain functions away. Can you imagine how fazed they would be if they saw you blasting magic from your staff? Progress would become slower and the risk of being bitten will rise…this is the best option, and we need you to escort the students to the buses and keep them organised. Trust me, we can and will do this with no casualties…I promise" replied Mana.

"Y-You promise?" stuttered Negi, lifting his head higher up.

"With all my unity, I promise" smiled Mana "Not one will be harmed, nor will one be recoiled as useless" comforted Mana, who elegantly rose and straightened up, where she diagonally turned her hip towards the rustling doors, keeping a close view point…it was almost time.

Nearby was Lilason, who had her back to the barely containable doors as she overlooked the many students that were shorter and a lot more concerned than her. The heavy, impressive weapon that slumped across her flat chest certainly caught the attention of most people when it withered from side to side whenever Lilason roughly swayed around, dragging the black threaded strap across her soft, delicate skin around the neck and slightly burning it, leaving a severe red mark that glowed with fury as the weapon hung on. It didn't bother her though, she was use to it. She was use to the heavy equipment thumping into her whenever she ran, and she was use to being avoided when holding the gun in a position that made people feel threatened, which was most of the time since she was rarely seen without her weapon.

Occupying herself to pass the time, Lilason began to pat herself down, mildly pounding her stretched palm across her chest and around her waist as she counted up the temporary equipment she had remaining. She slithered her hand around a pouch that had been sewed onto her camouflaged clothing, feeling the thin components inside and reminding herself of what it was. Documents…and a note she had written herself to her family in case the unfortunate happened _"Tsk, yeah, like that's going to be useful anymore" _she thought to herself, pondering the obvious that either her family is dead, or no one would be willing to check an infected's pocket for an note to a unknown family that would most likely remain unknown.

Moving further down, her twitchy fingers ran over the braced belt as her thumb sunk under it and into her trousers, where she took a secure grip on the leathery belt while feeling around for the items she seeked. Ammo, explosives, there was plenty of it…to bad it wasn't enough on it's own to clear a path to the buses. Now satisfied, Lilason changed her focus onto her weapon, where her hand hovered over it as if it were something precious to her. She double checked the safety button, pinching it with her blood red fingers that turned white as the blood line was cut of for mere moments while she flickered the safety back and forth, making sure it was useable. Then, she took a grasp on the current magazine, pulling it out with force and producing a quiet clicking sound the indicated it's release. Lilason dragged it up and close to her face, where she firstly blew on the cartridge, brushing away any dust and cleaning it while creating a 'thrsshhh' sound. Then she peeked into the heavy metal and examined the amount of bullets left before violently slapping it back into the weapon, yet again producing another clinking sound, only this time more louder and noticeable. The ammo was conserved, her nerves were holding up…she was ready, and it was time to leave…until…

"Get out of my way!" harshly growled a screeching voice that unfortunately enough was familiar to those around it. The economic voice grew louder and more violent, increasing in velocity as the sound approached Lilason. Students were barged past and knocked to one side as an obstacle twice their size viciously slice it's way through them like a knife on butter. Some girls such as Makie and Misora let out quiet whines of suspense, in hope that no harm would be done to them, where others such as Asuna and Haruna grunted a displeasing comment back to the man who partly ignored both the damage he was doing and the hate he was receiving as he stormed over to the front row.

By the time Lilason had changed her sight from the gun she carried to the soaring crowd of students, the long, daunting stare of Tankins blazing eyes strictly glared at Lilason as she examined the dirtiness smothered around Tankins face, who's cheeks grisly darkened with mud and other substances that was covered in grease…it was questionable to how Lilason hadn't noticed these facial details for afar…then again, she never liked looking at Tankins in the first place…although, when you hadn't had a wash in days, it should have been pretty obvious either way.

His facial expressions said everything. 'Anger, Hate, Revenge' but even Tankins wasn't crazy enough to try something so despicable, especially when he was surrounded by a number of skilful students and a horde of flesh eating monsters that could break through the doors at any second. He deeply breathed in, only to simply exhale hard like a bull, where Lilason experienced the foul stench of his breathe whistle warm winds onto her face, causing Lilason to slightly twitch with disgust.

Lilason countered, mildly opening her sticky red lips and forcing out a gentle cough that blasted onto Tankins, who simply embraced the bacterial fluids. He blinked twice without a care, showing no signs of being bothered by the unnecessary counter "How childish" he insisted, slowly shaking his head from side to side.

Lilason proudly smiled "What do you want Tankins?" she snarled.

There was a short pause as Tankins manipulatively titled his head back and sloped it to one side, stretching his neck up and revealing the dark blue veins that strained themselves on his dirty tense, skin. A devilish grin squeamishly grew on one side, slightly opening Tankins mouth and partly revealing his cracked teeth "What?" his tone was complex and sadistic "Was I never apart of this…'plan'?" questioned Tankins.

"Tsk" Lilason tutted with ignorance "Since when did you care about the safety of these kids you ungrateful bastard?" replied Lilason.

"It seems you have already forgotten our mission objective Lieutenant" Tankins glowish brown eyes rolled back "Typical" he chuckled "The whole point of me being here was to get these…children…back to the HQ. I admit, I may have overreacted earlier…but once thinking about it…you were simply…" Tankins leaned forward, freezing his grinning face inches away from Lilason's "Following my footsteps" hissed Tankins.

Lilason's smile immediately dimmed down into a frown "What did you say?" she growled "Are you actually comparing us two?" A coughed laugh burst out of her mouth "I hate to admit it…" another short pause "Actually, that's a lie, I would love to admit this. Sir…'Captain' you are greatly mistaken to the point that I actually think you have gone insane" harshly exclaimed Lilason.

"Come now Lilason, even a deserter like you must face the facts. Bringing the survivors back to the HQ for protection?" Tankins hysterically laughed "You just want the objective done, like me, soldier, and I would be happy to assist so that we can complete our objective" Tankins took a deep breathe in, fiercely inhaling the foul smell of rotting flesh that withered through the door "You smell that Lieutenant? That's the smell of two soldiers going it alone, bringing back a husky sum of over thirty survivors…think of the rewards! Promotions, fame, extra money, we would be living the average soldiers dream" grinned Tankins as his fist clenched tightly "And it's all thanks to you for organising this pathetic escape in the first place, although I must say…the eagerness and determination of everyone has impressed me. Judgement Lieutenant…it's a powerful thing…allow me to demonstrate, because all you will be seeing is the back of my head as I clear a path for these sluggish beings known as humans, then you can judge my far superior abilities" growled Tankins, turning away and facing the rustling doors that looked ready to collapse.

Her head heavily shook "Overconfidence will get you killed…why can't you see that!" growled Lilason, unsure if Tankins was listening or not. It didn't matter though, and Lilason knew she couldn't continue the conversation…for Mana was approaching the doors with prejudice, signalling the other protectors and students to ready themselves.

Mana flickered her hands around as it softly lay against her hip, funnily twitching her fingers with a noticeable pattern that told the protectors to "Get ready" while she halted herself at the jiggery doors, showing no sign of fear that at any second they could crack open and undead would pour onto her.

Without hesitation, the wicked assassin hovered one hand over her chest, where she strictly thrusted her palm into the black, tight jacket that flapped open, revealing the secure compartments of Mana's socialised weapons. Grasping onto the handle, she violently pulled out the recently acquired Howa Type 89, where it was calmly but scarcely raised into the air, with the hard end leaning on Mana's shoulder and the circular barrel poking up high. From everyone else's point of view, it practically looked constricted into Mana's grip, making some people raise eyebrows with fascination to how Mana could keep blood flowing through her hand and keeping it from going numb because of how tight it was.

The atmosphere was drenched with nightmarish horror that splurged out of the students who anxiously watched Mana prepare to open the only thing keeping back the flesh eating hordes. The thought was a tense one, but the waiting was the worst out of it all…that anything could happen…that the word 'safe' would no longer be useable, it was horrible, and yet they could do nothing…but wait. Mana could feel the verification of hope become sucked up like a sponge, second by second, losing the little determination that hinged of the students like a bad smell. The only true confidence was coming from the protectors themselves, and like a barrier, prevented the confidence of the other students from leaving…but only barely.

Mana turned, where she began to examine the shivering crowd of survivors that looked ready to burst with exhilaration. She slowly rotated her head from right to left, scanning all the students and making sure everybody was present before her head froze at Tankins for mere moments with confusion and discomfort…seeing him again sent shivers down her spine. What was he doing here? It didn't matter, not now, not when everything they had prepared for and worked hard to organise was about to commence. Mana's eyes flickered back to the middle, where her head gently shook with neglect before noticing that apart from the irritating groans, everything and everyone had gone completely silence as they awaited her actions….her choice. Mana started to quietly speak.

"I know how you feel" stated Mana, glaring back at Tankins who sniffled a grin as if Mana had told a joke "All of you" she said again, turning to everyone "And I understand it with equal value to everyone else that stands in this room with me. The fear you feel and the concern you have for me, or Negi, or Ku Fei and everyone else that seeks to protect you from the infesting swarm of the undead. You're scared, and you have a good reason to be, but if we don't do this now…I cannot control what future events occur within the hotel. So I ask…no, I plead, don't be afraid to take the risk of leaving, of living your life. We will get through this together, one step at a time, no matter what obstacles stand in our way. No moronic creature is going to stop us, and I'm certainly not going to be stopped by some liquid that can think for itself. Stay together, keep low and keep moving…and I promise you the satisfying feeling of being safe again once we reach the bus…once we reach the Self Defence Force HQ" proudly announced Mana, comforting the students.

The dazzling speech may have sounded convincing, but the awkward silence provoked many of the students, shortly followed by the snickering of Tankins that caused Lilason to glare at him with a deathly motive. Barely any confidence had been risen, and because of the continues groans from the growing infected, not many students attitude seemed to have changed from scared to ambivalent, willing to go ahead without hesitation. The only other sound that was heard was the sweet harmonic hums of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' sadly made by Akiras who hazily continued to lean against Nodoka, not looking bothered at all but rather lifeless. She just…didn't care anymore…not without Evangeline. The calming sound forced no one to harshly respond, but instead provided a reason…that Akiras was a child who had yet to live her life fairly. Only then did it greatly boost the confidence of everyone, that Mana's speech did have a meaning, but most of all, a massive impact on the reasoning of Akiras living…no student wanted to see her dead…no student wanted to see anyone else…dead.

Mana took note of the slow reactions, confirming the vindictive fact that her mere words wasn't enough…just as she feared. In fact, if it hadn't been for Akiras, someone would have been bound to complain at some point, which made Mana sore with jealously…the thought made her whimper a quiet chuckle…her? Jealous of a little girl? The world has really change…including her. She shouldn't be jealous… so why couldn't she shake the feeling off? Could it be that Mana was use to taking credit for all the hard work and found it rather improbable that this time it wasn't all thanks to her? It was an minor possibility, one that had a negative impact on her…_"I shouldn't expect gratitude from everyone…why am I being so selfish? Ugh…all this credit for my actions has gotten the better off me…I've been absorbing it like a sponge like an idiot…all that matters now is survival, for everyone, screw this pathetic jealousy, I don't want any thanks…I just want them to be safe…I'm not going to turn into something I'm not" _pondered Mana, hating herself.

With her hip still leaning towards the violent doors, Mana swiftly turned her head, where she gazed at the wreckage being produced with animosity while dark shadows of the infected scarily beamed under the door, showing the vicious movements of the monstrous creatures. Then, after the long glare, she turned back and hastily raised her hand, stretching out three fingers and visibly poking them upwards towards everyone else "We go on my command" alerted Mana who rolled her eyes around in a circular motion, changing her vision from each protector who nodded back at her with dignity before she finally looked into the core of the circle…the group of students that needed protecting "Three" One finger shot down, leaving two to remain as they unsteadily twitched "Two" Another finger down as Mana turned both her body and head back to the doors that were ready to collapse "One" The last finger went down, repositioning her hand into a fist and forcing the survivors to straighten up with hostile tense and submissive perseverance. Her last word echoed, surrounding everyone with resilience as time slowed down. There was a long pause, longer than anyone had wanted while Mana struggled to proceed. She was restraining herself by accident, which would seem ridiculous to some, but then again, they weren't experiencing what Mana was going through. The Howa Type 89 that was tightly grasped in her hand was slowly dragged down to her chest, strictly connecting into the other available hand that constricted itself under the barrel holder by the magazine itself where Mana tightly curled her hands both under and around the sides of the heavy black weapon. She gasped in, building up the pressure and oxygen where it all exploded in one go. Her jaw widely opened, exposing her grinding teeth that too began to open up, allowing her to speak "LETS GO!" screeched Mana.

* * *

**Here's chapter 16.**

**Sorry about this everyone, but after not posting a chapter for quite a while and still not finished with the recent chapter I am writing up, I decided to split this chapter in half so that all the calmness is in one chapter, and all the action is in another chapter. The reason that I did this is because so much is going on between different people and scenery that I feel that a lot of people may become overwhelmed, so I decided to split it in half. This means chapter 17 is already more than half complete and I hope to complete it soon, but another reason is that because I haven't posted up another chapter, it was putting pressure on me and making me desperate which caused me to rush parts of the action scenes. **

**Chapter 17 is really going to concentrate on why the undead are still a threat, rather than just have the surviviors easily blast through them and escape. I want to show how strong and resistant they are, which gave me the idea to instead of having all sorts of different things happen, I go into better detail on one scene involving a few undead interacting with the survivors. Not to mention The First and The Virus, which are both scenes I still need to write up, are going to be exciting are detailed scenes that I really want to complete, so I apologise for the long wait and building up the anticipation just to have chapter 16 to be another filler type of thing.**

**Any reviews will be very much appreciated.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	17. Betraying The Plan

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday - 9:11AM - Outside The Abandoned Hotel**

They watched…they all watched. Mana's upper body strainfully leaned back, making it much easier for her to lift her flexible leg that embracingly pulled itself back violently, causing her knee to poke up high for mere seconds before her foot it was forcefully launched at the cracking doors. Within seconds, her heavy black boot crashed into them, producing a fierce ripping sound of wood as the doors ferociously opened outwards with barely any surface left. Both doors stretched out with speed, slamming into the orange bricked walls and bouncing of them where more chips of wood tore off.

With the doors being kicked in, the infectious creatures were savagely knocked back with tremendous impact, where the first wave of the horde brutally fell to the floor and smashed their fragile heads onto the stone steps that led up to the entrance, gushing out blood onto the clear surface and producing ghastly bone crunching sounds that made the survivors cringe with soreness.

Mana, in a calm and polite posture, majestically walked out into the open world where she overlooked the sickening hordes, studying them…waiting for them to make the first move as thousands and thousands of poisonous water droplets rode along the enormous winds and splattered into her, completely covering Mana with a blanket of damp wetness. She took immediate notice of the limited staggering undead that struggled to stand back up after being knocked down by her devastating kick, groaning with sorrow as the ones that did survive the head cracking impact slowly turned and revealed large, sharp fragments of ripped wood that horrifically stuck out of their limbs and body after being impaled. One by one, other infected that had narrowly dodged the flinging wood looked down at their fallen kind, ghastly moaning as if caring…only to look back up at Mana without seeming bothered, but rather hungry as they pulled a scarring face and hissed at the living being before them.

Mana took note of the closest one that was nearing with prejudice. It had a wooden fragment sticking out of it's chest the size of her arm while a mixture of dark reddish blood and saliva gnarled down it's mouth, which partly had parts of the bone and yellowish flesh missing. It trembled forward, barely keeping it's balance as both arms stretched outwards to Mana who cringed with disgust before engaging.

Lifting her weapon, she roughly pressed the butt of her gun against her soft shoulder, bringing the sight of the gun closer to her face where she tightly closed one eye and used the other to beam her vision through the small but circular sight, where at first the infected's torso became clear and visible. Slightly raising it higher, Mana scoped the undead's gruesome head and watched…she watched the idiotic creature roam closer with each weary step that left a blood print on the white stone surface as it's jaw twitched up and down, sometimes completely closing, other times just spurting out more disgusting saliva that garnished all over the infected's torn clothing. It was only a few feet away now, giving Mana no more time to reminisce…no more opportunities to go back. Just as it was in plain reach, Mana submissively squeezed the sensitive trigger, firing a few gleaming bullets that swirled through the air and brutally sliced into the infected's head, breaking through the skull and damaging the brain, causing the undead to dangerously leap back as if being pushed until fatally crashing and landing onto the ground, skidding along the hard surface and brushing up the dust that withered around before halting itself once slumping up against another undead that contagiously approached, twitching immediately after until becoming once again lifeless. The first shot had been fired…there was no going back now.

The pretentious, hostile sound waves of the echoing bullets spread throughout the valley, alerting many undead that all turned towards the source of the sound before sloppily approaching the lethal protectors that stood in the way of their meal. Closer undead that witnessed the execution all snarled at Mana, heftily becoming enraged at the sight of her as they disarmingly staggered towards her without a second thought, seeking her blood, her flesh, her being. Some walked, others crawled, but what weakness they had was overcame with the shear numbers that surrounded the hotel, the buses and any escape route that required some kind of force to remove the swarm of ghastly infected.

This was it. Mana began unloading her gun, gracefully swerving from left to right with accuracy as she targeted the closest undead, skilfully aiming for the heads and firing without hesitation where rows of the creatures fell affectingly and remained on the floor, sometimes colliding into other undead and blocking their access. She was shortly followed by Lilason and Tankins, who straggled left and right of her position, blasting back more waves of the never ending horde. It didn't take long before the students started to follow the slow paced protectors, keeping a close eye on any approaching infected the would classify as a danger to them.

Every now and then, Mana would look over her shoulder to inspect everyone else, and it wasn't a satisfying sight. Tankins would just crazily blaze his weapon from the hip, inaccurately missing many targets and barely immobilising any undead because of being wounded in the less vital area's such as the torso or stomach, momentarily staggering them back before they regained their senses and continued to proceed forward with lustful intentions. And during the whole time, a grin would be planted on his face as if it were purposely his intentions to sabotage the plan.

Lilason was in a similar situation, only she was purposely aiming for the chest section and also staggering the infected back for mere moments before they continued to approach. Bullets impaled them, blood went flying, and yet they continued which put Lilason in a panicky mood as her firing slowed down and as her accuracy decreased. Mana quickly noticed this but struggled to react as more undead barged past one another, becoming quicker the closer they got "Lilason!" screamed Mana. She turned back to Lilason for mere seconds, witnessing her turn to Mana where their eyes aligned before separating again as Mana twisted back to the undead that were now a few feet away "The head!" she insisted, ridding herself of the closest infected before turning to Lilason again, where she straightened out one hand and raised it high, tapping her fingers hard against her head "Aim for the head!" she notified to Lilason before once again permanently rearranging her sight back to the forward positioned that poured in with more undead.

Lilason hesitantly exhaled, still staring back at Mana who made holding back the hordes look easy. Then, her eyes then quickly widened as she realised that she had completely forgotten her role, forcing her to abruptly turn with arrogance where she was met with an undead hostelry pouncing at her with vengeance. It had managed to quietly approach Lilason without being detected, a rare technique that was a first for everyone…maybe the infected were slowly getting smarter, but unfortunately for the infected attacking Lilason, it was the only one that had actually managed to recover properly and get close where as the others still continued to regain their balance after being pierced by the small, metal bullets that Lilason had shot earlier.

There was barely any time to react, only giving Lilason the slightest chance of movement where she shifted her weapon up. Then, the infected interacted with her as it shunted itself into her, forcing her weapon to turn diagonally as the monstrous creature took a harsh grip on Lilason's delicate wrist that had a hold of the weapon, where it's finger nails scraped along the pale surface of her skin that quickly turned red with soreness before securely keeping a tight and secure grasp. Her teeth cringed as she watched the undead lean in, eerily opening it's mouth where more saliva sickly trickled down the creatures jaw. The only thing keeping it back was her diagonally turned weapon, which strainfully grinded itself into the undead's chest and forcing Lilason to painfully push it back with exhaustion while the whole time it's snapping jaw could he heard opening and closing violently, inches away from Lilason's flesh "U-Ugh! Som-Ah! Someone get this thi-" she was interrupted when the other hand of the grappling undead appeared, sneakily curling around Lilason's struggling shoulder until it took a hurtful clutch on her luscious brown hair. Lilason cried out a sorrow whimper as the undead agonizingly pulled her head forward, hurtfully pulling on the roots of her hair and giving Lilason no choice but to follow it's direction in pain.

It harshly snagged her head position to one side, tilting it down and stretching out her neck that became easily visible and exposable to a bite. Lilason could feel herself becoming weaker with exhaustion, slowly having her arm and weapon pushed back as the undead continued to lean further in, slowly and delicately having it's reach grow closer to her neck where it hoped to singe it's teeth into it's delicious meal. She skirmished a losing battle, vitally attempting to reposition her head back to it's usual stance and not exposing her neck, only to falter when the undead yanked her head back down to one side again _"S-So strong…w-why are they so strong!" _wondered Lilason in a panicky thought.

In a last attempt, using her tired free hand, Lilason began to fiercely pull it back, where she launched it forward into the undead's gut…only to have no effect as it shuddered the hit off. Again and again, she repeated the gut wrenching hits, further making herself tired until she could barely hold up against the creature before her. A shiver tingled down her spine as the feeling of her own weapon bristly slapped itself onto her chest, becoming a sandwich between her and the undead that was about to be in biting distance "Help me!" screamed Lilason, who regretted underestimating the dumb infectious being "Anyo-" she was once again cut off as the undead made an attempt, thrusting it's head forward like a rag doll and snapping it's jaw, cracking it's teeth together and narrowly missing as it was less than an inch away from Lilason's flesh.

Lilason whimpered louder before catching a glimpse of something over the undead's shoulder. It wasn't more infected…no…only now have the rest began approaching again, nor was it anything that seeked to harm her. A glistening blade swiftly and gracefully slashed through the inhumane stench of air and winds, producing a humming motion of calmness before interacting with the rotting flesh of the undead. The holy blade sliced through both of the undead's wrists that were conveniently aligned, creating an awry squirmy sound as the blade easily cut through the soft, rotting, decomposing bone and skin before exiting the opposite end where mutilated blood slithered down the bright, clean blade, dripping off, staining the weapon.

Although the separated limbs stiffly hung on, Lilason was now free. As the undead groaned at the painless experienced it had just encountered, it completely ignored everything else and continued to concentrate on Lilason, who angrily heaved herself forward, pushing her weapon hard against the undead's chest and causing it to stagger back with unbalanced steps until bouncing of another approaching infected, where both then continued to trembled forward with prejudice, with or without hands.

Brushing herself off, Lilason squealed as she shuffled around, putting a huge effort in flinging away the attaching limbs that still scarily had a grip on her. It only took seconds before they thumped to the floor, giving Lilason a chance to turn where she met her saviour.

Complexly standing on her own with the tip of her blade scraping along the lumpy floor and her silky black fringe attractively swaying in front of her forehead was Setsuna, who quietly looked back at Lilason with a decent prospective "Thanks" gladly appreciated Lilason. The swordsman frantically blinked as she turned towards the armless undead that had it's grey eyes set on Lilason with determination as it slowly tumbled forward with inaccuracy, completely ignoring Setsuna. She turned back and heavily sighed "You should keep moving" quietly suggested Setsuna as she heaved both her body and head back towards the armless undead "The others need you…I'll handle this side, just get the students on the bus" requested Setsuna, dulling down her words as if they were her last…although, Lilason couldn't blame her, close combat with those…things…was almost impossible.

Nodding, Lilason turned away from Setsuna and analysed the area, watching Mana and Tankins slowly advance, unaware that the absence of her opened up a small gap in the formation in which the undead could flank and attack them without any trouble. Boycotting her own actions to be the death of everyone, Lilason rapidly began to run, immediately catching up with Mana who had impressively travelled a great distance from the hotel. From her viewpoint, the whole group of survivors should be out now, and from Mana's point, they should be halfway there which certainly surprised Lilason.

Just as Lilason was about to reach her rightful spot in the formation, she felt a vicious hand curl it's bloody fingers around her worn down ankle, roughly tugging on the piece of clothing and slowly tearing the fabric. Because of the speed she was going, the sudden action surprised Lilason and caused her to tremble back for balance and support, waving her arms around as she gasped. Once regaining her balance and senses, she grunted with annoyance and looked down, where she witnessed an infected woman that looked battered on the hard surface of the floor hissing at her as a visibly clear bullet hole in the neck splurged out blood, obviously indicating that either Mana or Tankins had missed the head. The woman numbingly hung on as Lilason shuffled her foot around, desperately pulling itself closer until Lilason's boot violently plunged itself onto the undead's head, smashing it's wrecked face into the concrete and pinning to the ground, but alas, it continued to twitch and move which made Lilason flinch with disbelief.

While fully knowledgeable that the undead was unable to attempt a bite while in the situation it was in now, Lilason still moaned with frustration as she turned her head to the side, where she horrifically watched a nearing undead eerily stagger closer to the comparably resistant Mana from behind, making Lilason react without a second thought "Mana! Mana!" shouted Lilason. It was no use…the amount of noise being produced by the groans and moans of the infected joined by rounds of bullets echoing in the air and the ferocious pitter patter of rain smashing onto the floor completely blocked out her cries for attention, giving her no other choice.

With a deadly motive, Lilason pulled both arms inward, bringing the heavy weapon strapped around her shoulder closer and higher up where she peaked one eye through the dirty sights, ranging the scenery closer and easier to concentrate on while she twiddled around, anxiously trying her best to keep her unsteady hands still so that her aim would be perfect when pointing towards the undead. Luckily for her, just as she began scoping the area, the infected walked right into her sight, unfortunately, her sight was only inches away from Mana, meaning that the shot needed to count.

"_Steady…you can do this girl…it's just like target practise…remain calm…hold your breathe"_ reminisced Lilason as she took a deep breathe in, sucking up as much distasteful oxygen and creating a disgusting flavour of rottenness that buzzed her taste buds. Everything became calm and steady, comforting Lilason as her confidence rose. Slippery sweat began running down her pale face as she felt a heat wave of pressure slam into her like a train…one shot…one chance, and she took it. Squeezing the trigger, Lilason watched as an explosive bullet fiercely squeezed through the barrel of the gun, where it whizzed through the air with accuracy until it lodged itself into the back of the undead's head, causing it to fling through the air and fall the floor just by Mana, which instantly alerted her with instinct.

Mana turned and trifled her head down, watching the twitching undead become lifeless before her eyes. She then turned towards Lilason, who lowered her posture and gave Mana a twinkling smile of encouragement before weakly lifting one hand high, poking her thumb up and giving Mana a respectful signal that everything was 'under control'. Mana simply nodded back with reassurance before turning, proceeding forward to the abandoned buses.

Setsuna intelligently waited patiently as the satisfying sound of the students weak but loud footsteps cluttered behind her with hast. From her prospective, it would be best for the undead to come to her, that way she wouldn't't break the formation and increase the risk of students interacting with the degrading monsters once known as humans. Thanks to the recent work of Lilason blasting back the waves of infected, the only undead that could possibly pose a threat right now was the handless creature who almost became the soldiers demise as it slowly but eerily lurched forward with a surprising balance…then again, when it had it's hands, the creature would most likely be swerving from side to side with uncompelled movements thanks to the odd mobility it offered when reaching out for it's meal…they were strange creatures indeed…stupid, but powerful and frightening, Setsuna knew that she shouldn't take the creature to likely once it is in range of attack.

The handless undead was faster than she had anticipated, but that didn't worry her as Setsuna calmly scraped the tip of her shining blade along the solid concrete, leaving a mild trail of blood that was still deadly to those unaware of it's affects while she seeked to cleanse her sharp weapon of the purged liquid. Eventually, she was forced to interact as the handless infected clumsily quivered nearer, barely keeping itself from tripping on it's own feet as the excitement of Setsuna overflowed it with desire.

It leaped forward, only to experience the devastating slice of metallic silver carefully but quickly cut through it's rotting waist as Setsuna side stepped and dashed forward, gripping both hands on the firm leather handle and forcing it forward where it diagonally entered the undead and exited out the other side with retaliation, completely cutting it in half and separating the upper torso from the legs. The decrepit torso of the handless undead crashed onto the floor, humiliatingly rolling back and forth because of being unable to move itself. Turning like lightning, Setsuna held a firm grip on her weapon as she looked down at the sorrowful creature with pity while watching it beg for an envious transition _"Allow me to end your suffering…" _she thought, skilfully twirling her sword uniquely while doing so. Regrettably thrusting it down, Setsuna turned away from the gory sight as the commotion ended with her blade slicing into the undead's head, instantly imbedding itself into the skull and ending the undead's misfortune.

Her eyes closed as she deeply sighed. Rain poured onto the swordsman, slithering down her skin, dripping off her fringe while she roughly pulled her blade out of the penetrated undead. Only when an interruption involving the quiet paced footsteps and the soft patter of someone's hand on her shoulder intervening did Setsuna look up, where she witnessed Zazie comforting and notifying the deranged guardian that she needed to move on. Setsuna quickly turned the opposite side, witnessing the end of the group proceed forward…they really were moving fast, and Zazie was simply waiting for Setsuna to proceed with them, protecting her…no one gets left on their own. Setsuna turned back and nodded, immediately after dashing away where she continued to keep watch for any undead that approached the innocent students….and Zazie…she just watched for mere moments…before moving on herself, keeping close behind the group as the area they were just in became overwhelmed with the closing infected, as the hotel became flooded, as the pathway back once again became blocked with decomposing bodies.

Thanks to the incompetents that radiated of Tankins, his foolish actions had made Kaede and Ku Fei's job a lot harder as the large amount of repetitive infected that had taken woeful damage to the torso slowly approached with prejudice in massive numbers, greatly outmatching the two elegant protectors that showed no fear, but instead confidence. Even so, both managed to contain the swarms by watching one another's back, producing raging teamwork that they used to their advantage as they concentrated on the closest undead together, knocking them back and taking them out of the fight using simple yet dangerous techniques that take months to master, and mental strength to muster up as they tremendously targeted the heads with accuracy. Infectious bodies outrageously flung back once interacting with either of them, harshly hovering across the air where it would crash into the concrete ground and have it's rotting flesh shred apart until halting to a lifeless stop.

With the uncertain feeling of Tankins being by her side the whole time, Mana's excitement dramatically increased as her pace perked up after learning that the buses where a few metres away. Her heart raced as water droplets shattered onto her blushing face of exhaustion and heat that steamed up into the air, further attracting the never ending swarms of infected who poured over each other with insane hunger and selfishness. Still firing her weapon, the degrading and haunting sound of her weapon clicking, indicating it's emptiness, forced Mana to choke as the unexpected action gave the undead an opportunity to proceed forward without a threat. Now she felt stupid…because of the increase in speed, she was much closer to the wretched creatures where as before, a chance to reload was an option…but not anymore as the undead prepared to pounce at her.

About to become face to face with one of the many hundreds of undead that roamed the streets, Mana ducked down, where the undead collided into her and curled it's upper torso over her with development, sloppily leaning forward as it experienced a hurtful but unfitting nudge by Mana's elbow in it's soft stomach with force. The black haired widow cautiously jolted her other fist up, cracking and upper cutting the undead's jaw, most likely breaking it in the process and sending a sonic vibration of power that immobilized the brain which took immediate affect as the undead lunged into the air, only to hostelry smash back into the solid concrete without a sound of life.

With the temporary pathway now clear, it gave both Mana and Tankins a chance to race forward towards the bus where they heavily twisted themselves and crashed their backs into the yellow chipped surface of the school bus, both taking an opposite side of the automatic sliding doors that were luckily already open. Tiredly slouching down, their posture became unprofessional as the weary protectors heavily gasped for oxygen while they amazingly continued to fight back, keeping their dangerous weapons high and shooting back the unavoidable infected who slid around the front and back of the buses with sneakiness, eerily sticking their contagious, blood covered hands on the bright yellow metal and skidding along it, creating an infuriating squeaking sound and becoming trickier to hit.

The roaring bullets that screeched out of the barrel of their guns covered up Mana's grunting of annoyance as from her point of view, the credited plan hadn't fully gone to her liking. She had hoped that Lilason would enter the first bus with the available students so that she could keep close to the suspicious Tankins and his menacing actions, but to her misfortune, Lilason was still a short distance away, fending of the approaching undead…and they didn't have time to waste. In such an enclosed space with just the two of them covering the students, time was an essence and it would only take a fatal flaw for everything to fall apart.

Killing the last undead the was momentarily in her sight, Mana turned and witnessed the long line of survivors reach their position, starting with Nodoka and Akiras who leeched to one another for protection "Everyone, get on the bus! Nodoka, Negi! Up the steps! Find a spot to sit and make way for Tankins once the vehicle is full!" It was an obvious sensation, but Mana turned anyway where the long glares of Tankins burned into her with seriousness "Me!" He growled "Did you say me!" questioned Tankins.

"I need to reassure the safety of the students and you're the only one here who can drive the damn thing!" the expressions of Tankins faced turned from unsure to sadistic "I don't like it as much as you do, but it's the fastest possible way were going to get out of this situation!" notified Mana.

A devilish grin "Who said I didn't like it?" he softly chuckled "Leaving you out here with these things while I enter the safety of the vehicle…I like it" Tankins winked with a hurtful satisfaction.

The amount of desire to reply back to the insulting comment made Mana uncomfortably itch with annoyance…now wasn't the time to start an argument, and she certainly didn't want to lose the cooperation with Tankins who by some miracle decided to help out and not complain during the whole phasing event. Ignoring him was hard, especially when his croaky voice yelled out with insane excitement as his raging weapon blasted out non stop ammunition that half the time missed and became wasted…it was as if he had no intention on making an effort, but rather purposely became involved purely on revenge…but surely Tankins wasn't that devious and insane…was he? It was no time to reminisce or think as more infected approached, allowing Mana to open fire with resilience.

One by one the panicky students hopped onto the bus with desperation, starting with Akiras who unwillingly had to be lifted by Nodoka who had remained by her side the whole time. Curling both hands under her arms, the shy purple haired girl heaved up and forward, sloppily skimming Akiras over the bus steps and accidentally nudging her dirty foot wear onto the hard steps as her numb feet lifelessly dragged along them. Next was Lesora, then Negi with regret, followed by the closest students that consisted of Ayaka, Makie, Ako, Natsumi, the three cheerleaders Madoka, Kakizaki and Sakurako, Akira and a few others who entered the bus without hesitation until it became full.

Just as the next student, Chizuru, was about to climb onto the open steps, she was suddenly stopped by the rushing hand of Mana that outstretched itself fiercely and slapped the open air in front of Chizuru, blasting back a wave of wind that brushed off against the delicate skin of the innocent motherly figure "Wait!" strictly ordered Mana . Before acting out her original motive, Mana's eye's widened while she quickly swayed her head from left to right, checking if everything was safe before continuing. Still halting Chizuru from proceeding with her outstretched hand, she carefully began to walk back, growing slightly higher with each step she took up the metal steps until freezing at the last step, where Mana slowly leaned back and strainfully turned her head towards the end of the rusty bus, witnessing the last few seats get taken up by the frightened students and becoming informed that the bus was now full.

Mana pulled herself back out with force, barely stopping herself from bouncing into Chizuru who flinched at the close encounter "This bus is full!" notified Mana to Chizuru and the other students patiently waiting behind her. Her head sadistically turned to Tankins who had finally stopped yelling and shooting, mainly because Mana had caught his attention once confirming the buses absence of room was no longer available "Tankins, get in the drivers seat! Turn the key, hotwire, do what needs to be done, just get that thing started! Get these doors closed and protect the students! Once we proceed to the next bus, all the attention should be drawn to us so you shouldn't have to worry about getting overrun! We'll go together, both buses together will provide more than enough firepower to get through the undead, understood?" explained Mana with detail.

"Do what needs to be done…" a sinister whisper under his own breath "It'll be my pleasure…Mana" he exhaled with pleasure, sparking a awry grin.

Holstering his weapon with a positive attitude, Tankins didn't hesitate to sniffle a devious laugh, raising his upper lip with smugness as he curled around the bus surface and into the entrance, skimming his clothing against Mana's where an unsettling atmosphere descended onto her.

With the drivers seat opposite the entrance, Tankins instantly dived into the black leathered seat, slouching into the warm fuzzy fabric with laziness where he took his time, putting his selfish needs first with a motive to annoy Mana further. The fact that she was far too busy fending of the waves of undead didn't impress him, but rather irritated him. He was a child, not getting his own way and finding it unfair, but in the end he ignored it…after all…he was the driver of a bus full of mostly school students younger than him…he….was in control, just the way he liked it.

Shuffling himself up, he began to look around, where he noticed the dangling keys already in the ignition, twinkling brightly with cleanliness _"Perfect" _he smirked. Tankins outstretched him arm as he reached out for the keys, only to falter once witnessing an attached key chain slowly twist itself, revealing a heart warming picture. It was a man, most likely the bus driver, dressed in summer clothing and crouched down where a small child was cradled in his arms with comfort. His eye twitched for a moment…he stared through his black glasses…he admired and examined the unexpected picture before angrily pinching the side of the glass keychain, where Tankins proceeded to carefully but strangely run his thumb over the visible picture, smudging and leaving a dirty fingerprint that covered and ruined the family portrait…but he still glared, becoming completely lost for a moment as he reminisced _"Family…this is what a family looks like…"_ wondered Tankins with sorrow.

His face shook, discarding the short trans he was in and allowing Tankins to concentrate on the dangling keys…but not before he did something very…unusual…using the same hand, he snagged the keychain with fury, violently pulling on it and ripping it away from the key, where he suspiciously lowered his hand and tucked the keychain deep into his side pocket, stowing it away from plain sight and hiding the heart warming picture.

Sighing, Tankins used his other hand to pinch the key and turned it without hesitation, causing the engine to roar with a horrific growl that certainly caught that attention of most undead around them. Then, he pulled the nearby lever that poked out, causing the sliding doors to shut and produce a wicked 'Kshhh' sound that caused some students to jump up with hype and suspense…it didn't help that the undead's bloody, tore up hands repeatedly slammed against the fragile windows with violence, hissing and spitting saliva while doing so.

Tankins heaved up his right arm, leaning his elbow on the edge of the seat and looking over his shoulder as he examined…as he watched the terrified students huddle up for safety…to his satisfaction "Do what needs to do done, eh?" a deep, mild chuckle escaped his mouth as he turned to the closed doors, where he witnessed Mana and the newly arrived Lilason cover one another, using the bus for cover "Hahaha…do what needs to be done? That was my intention…fools" grinned Tankins.

Both Mana and Lilason fired their weapons with purpose, decently blasting back the waves of undead and protecting the small group of students that were left. With a smaller group, the protectors could close the circle and make it easier to defend the remaining students thanks to the amount of space they needed to cover being shortened…but no one…not even Mana, expected the event that was about to happen become reality.

The revving engine caught Mana's attention and forced her to drastically turn, where she witnessed Tankins shifting the gear stick around as he glared at her with an evil smile of proudness "No…NO!" screamed Mana, smashing her clenched fist onto the glass of the door. Tankins laughed "I'm simply…doing what needs to be done" grinned Tankins as he shrugged.

Just like that, Tankins forcefully pushed his foot down on the pedal, causing the wheels to heavily screech before and spark yellow flares of fury as they blasted of like a rocket, leaving a trail of tire marks, ramming into undead and sucking them under the wheels, causing the bus to ricochet up and down with uneasiness as bodies sickly crunched and splattered blood onto the subtle yellow paint of the bus. The pouring rain pounded onto the delicate glass as the ferociously moving bus slammed into the falling droplets of water, making any visibility barely available as the front window became drenched in the poisonous liquid. The bus left a thick mist of smoke to wither around the protectors and students, creating the uncomforting urge to cough uncontrollably.

Tankins stretched his eyes upwards and looked into the hanging mirror…where the consuming image of Mana falling to her knee's filled him with an attractive feeling of success as the knowledge that finally….finally…Mana truly realised what losing hope actually meant…and what it felt like.

* * *

**Monday - 9:24AM - The Rooftop**

She overlooked the intense battlefield, not with worry, not with a sense of narcissistic authority to intervene, but with patience. The whole time she stared downwards, feeling a hint of amusement guide itself around her as she scoped her eyes left from right, studying, examining the actions of each and every one of them, determining whether the precise choices they make would be the doom of them, or just another delay to the failure that has long awaited them from the very beginning. The unavoidable failure. It would come, sooner or later…it always does…she should know…even herself, the Great Evangel has experienced failure more than once…and it tasted bitter.

Chachamaru cautiously stood beside her adapting master, who for the long hours of waiting had remained scarcely silent ever since that small talk with Negi. There would be a few natural occurrences…a mild cough or wet sneeze, nothing out of the ordinary…but it made Chachamaru worry with concern…Evangeline was rarely so degrading towards herself. No sleep, no beverages she could consume nor did she want to consume…it was a compelling awkwardness as Chachamaru could do nothing but stay silent with her master, feeling rather useless while they both watched the tremendous battle below.

Then, without warning, a dark laughter was heard, chuckling under the heavy exhale of breathe. A familiar tone, one that Evangeline herself found irritating. Unlike Chachamaru, who immediately turned with interest, Evangeline took her time, slowly keeping her head sloped down and her sight fixed on the students who were now entering the bus.

Chachamaru, being herself, showed no expressions of suspense or shock as the source of laughter was revealed. Lingering on the edge of the building with one leg dangling over the side and the other securely stumped on the edge as his knee poked up high where the figure leaned one arm across it, was the blood red eyed Kotaro, or now known as The First, who possessed a sinister grin of entertainment as he watched the escape with a relaxed and calm mood. Just like Evangeline, he took no notice of the two girls beside him…the two girls who assisted in his demise…but rather tilted his head down and studied the battlefield.

"It's rather astonishing" croaked Kotaro's voice, not seeming to care that he was starting a conversation with the girl that almost killed him, but instead found it fond that they wasn't assisting in the escape.

This time, Evangeline did turn, showing a blank expression of annoyance that her peace was disturbed by the pathetic creature before her "How so?" she dully replied.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kotaro continued to look down at the ground with interest "Surrounded by hundreds of my minions with barely any useful antics to fend them off with…no powers…no numbers in humans to protect one another…and yet they foolishly destroy their own shelter and attempt to escape…with a slight succession I might add" his grin turned into a frown.

"So you're inclining that they are fools? Tsk" Evangeline tutted as she tilted her head back down to the streets of undead "Tell me something I don't know" she whispered.

"No…No you don't understand…I admire them. The way they risk one another's life to reach safety is simply pleasurable…Their bravery makes this boys skin tingle…my…skin tingle. And what makes it further impressive is the fact that they will die because of this foolishness…and that you just sit here and watch" his grin returned.

"And what makes you think I wont intervene?" hissed Evangeline, finding his comment rather insulting.

"Ahhh…" A sadistic exhale "Rephrase the question my dear…it is not that you wont intervene…it is that you cannot intervene. You will not risk your pathetic robot because you need her assistance…and you…heheheh…you cannot accomplish anything without the full moon…did you honestly think I would forget? That this boys knowledge wouldn't comply to my being and resist? I…Know…Everything" snickered Kotaro.

"A fair answer" Evangeline surprisingly smiled as she turned to Kotaro again "But what makes you think they will die? As we speak, they are boarding the bus to escape…how do you hope to achieve stopping them?".

"Hm hm hm" another chuckle of amusement "Not me…The Virus" he exhaled "I only seek The Virus…where as it wants more than me…it wants complete control…nothing to stop it…kill eevveerryyone" the word was eerily stretched out as The First tensely straightened up at the sight it witnessed.

The loud screeches of the bus tires echoed across the area, alerting both Evangeline and The First who quickly looked down, only to witness the bus surprisingly raced off without the other protectors, leaving a fog a smoke behind.

Kotaro stood tall "Leaving…is not an option for you Virus".

Without warning, Evangeline watched as Kotaro bent down, where he pushed hard and leaped off the building where he proceeded to sorely fall.

Chachamaru took a step forward "Master, shall I pursue?" she questioned.

"No…" simply replied Evangeline.

"B-But what of Akiras and everyone else?".

Evangeline didn't turn back, but continued to stare downwards towards the moving bus as her head motionly aligned itself, slowly swaying to the side "The Virus is aboard the bus…it is in him…and if what The First has stated is correct…it will only be him and him alone it should interact with" informed Evangeline.

"Mistress…who is 'him'?" instantly replied Chachamaru.

Evangeline knew…his actions…his intentions…she knew but continued to stare down with silence…once again examining the battlefield.

* * *

**Here's chapter 17 for you!**

**Finally, the escape plan is in process, but with dire consenquences as Tankins rides off with one of the buses containing half of class 3-A! And what's worse is, The Virus is on board, and The First is in hot pursuit! What will happen! But more importantly, who is this 'him' The First and Evangeline was talking about that The Virus has successfully possessed! Find out on the next exciting chapter!**

**Also, don't forget to vote on the poll located on my profile and give your choice to whether you think The First or The Virus is more devious, more aggressive and more in control! The next chapter will certainly change some opinions and it's only a matter of time before I make a similar poll!**

**Any reviews will be appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	18. A Catastrophic Collision!

******I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday - 9:28AM - School Bus #1**

The shocking departure had the girls of class 3-A speechless as the intense speed forced them to hang on for life, sinking them deep into the rough, torn up red fabric of the seats as most of the girls fiercely dug their fragile fingernails under the seat, barely keeping themselves from viciously bouncing up and hitting the ceiling with deadliness. Horrific sounds of the battered bodies of the undead rioted around and under the bus, completely staining the yellow paint with the mutilated dark red blood that bubbled with the eerie liquid known as the virus as the bus rammed into the clueless creatures that blocked the roads with incompetence, sometimes being violently knocked back, other times forcefully grinded under the large, black wheels and scarcely flattening the bones like a steam roller.

Like a well steered cheetah, the bus unexpectedly swerved from left to right with well coordinated speed, avoiding overturned cars that blazed with furious flames that produced black smoke, inflating a fog that withered across the miserable sky as rain poured down ferociously and pounded into the racing bus, adding obnoxious pitter patter to the many sounds of fear which harshly increased the frightening situation, both mentally and physically harming the fazed girls further. The unsuspecting turns caused the girls to severely bash into the student beside them as they all leaned to one side, uncontrollably heaving their heads around where they crudely bumped heads into the obstacles before them and each other, straining their aching necks as they stretched out with compelling movement that wouldn't and shouldn't be possible for the usual human mobility.

Amongst the terrified girls were Nodoka and Akiras, who were devastatingly tossed across the seats as Tankins bitterly twisted the driving wheel to the left, swaying the bus to the side and putting pressure on the tires as they loudly screeched, creating flaring sparks that visibly flew into the air, only to be dimmed by the heavy rain and leaving darkened skid marks along the flooded roads. The turn thrusted the top of Nodoka's head and shoulder into the glass window that had a awry splatter of hand prints created by blood on the outside, causing her to whimper with fear and pain while at the same time Akiras was seemingly safe as she landed into the lap of Nodoka who held Akiras close, seeking to protect her from harm.

The insane laughter of Tankins shrieked through the open air, impaling the whimpering students like an arrow and tearing through them with vengeful intentions of narcissistic, shallow enjoyment. Believe it or not, but Tankins was having fun…he absorbed the nightmarish atmosphere like a shribbled sponge, lusting the glorious arrival of gratitude where he will be named a true hero for rescuing so many students on such low ammunition…with weary hope remaining…on a very limited capacity of protection that was…'unfortunately wiped out' during the escape, leaving him to be named the sole survivor of those who could fend for themselves…"_a remarkable achievement! The rewards would be outstanding!"_ he crazily thought to himself with amusement…that is what he desired, and what's best about it is…they'll believe him…they will all believe him _"Who would believe some children…some girls who had been stuck in the middle of all this shit? Ha…ha-ha….that's right…who would believe some insane beings such as them…I…I,I….I" _He began pointing at himself, hesitantly poking his thumb hard against his pumped chest and riskily leaving one hand on the driving wheel _"I! I will be the victorious one, not them!"_ he growled in his mind. He aggressively leaned forward with anticipation as he spotted a relatively usable motorbike standing upright in the middle of the road through his black glasses as sweat dripped from his face, drenching him with both a damp stench of foul body odder and awry sensation of wetness that was mostly absorbed by the red beret he wore. The bus brutally crashed into the motorbike, wrecking the metal blue plating of the vehicle and forcefully skidding it along the side of the road, colliding with the unsuspecting undead and flattening them as it smashed into the nearby houses, exploding on impact and once again making Tankins hysterically laugh uncontrollably. The impact damaged the front of the bus, causing it to rummaged around and forcing the girls to bounce up, hitting the ceiling hard with hostility and producing harmonic cries of pain that was music to Tankins ears.

Negi, who struggled to keep upright as he was being thrown around like a rag doll because of the unorthodox actions of Tankins crazily driving the barely controllable school bus, was horrendously being thrown into the occupied seats, where he would harshly have apart of himself brace the impact while either almost knocking himself unconscious, or bending his body around the chairs as the fast reacting movements gave him no opportunity to halt himself.

The recent dangerous encounter with the blue motorbike had complexly tossed the young mage off the ground and thrown him to one side, sending him into a short lived frenzy of spinning until his stomach churned with pain as it squashed itself into the padding's of the closest seat, causing his knee's to hit hard on the patterned, sticky floor when falling. On impact, his fragile body aggressively bent forward with pain once his stomach hit the seat, thrusting his head forward at the same time until it hit the soft, heavenly surface of Ayaka's lap.

A distasteful flavour of blood streamed up his throat, where it illuminated the dispersed red liquid around his mouth as Negi attempted to keep the disturbing sensation within his boundaries to keep his students reassured that he was ok…even if he wasn't, but rather in awry pain he struggled to sustain and hide from the others. His teeth became stained with the bright red blood as his mouth overflowed, and eventually the after affects kicked in, creating the itching desire to cough that he was unable to hold back. At first, the blood just leaked out of his tightly sealed lips, smothering them with a reddish colour and dripping further to the sides of his cheeks, flourishing his paleness with more red. Then, the inevitable happened. Negi's eyes cringed as he gut wrenchingly coughed violently, splurging out a troublesome amount of vital blood that mostly hit the back of the seat in front of him and partly covering Ayaka's clothing with an accidental intention.

He lay there, feeling nauseated and utterly marred, hearing the sorrow cries of Ayaka shout his name with regret "Negi sensei!" she whimpered with concern…again and again…each time more heart breaking and deeply surrounding him as she witnessed the inflicting harm upon him, hurting her sensei and idol. Negi weakly slithered his hands across the smooth surface of the seat, confused and half informed of what was going on. Gently pushing himself, his head drowsily lifted of Ayaka's lap, which he had yet to discover, and spotted the eerie blood darkening in his students clothing _"O-Oh n-n-no" _he thought_, _while at the same time feeling the flow of blood trifle down his cheek, producing a slight tickle of irritation.

"Hang on sensei!" the same voice, this time more recognisable, enough to notify Negi that it was Ayaka to his surprise. The delicate touch of her soothing hand covered Negi's like a blanket as Ayaka hoped to keep him safe by keeping him close, stopping the poor boy from being abruptly thrown around anymore, but it was too late. Instantly after feeling the precious warmth of Ayaka comfort him, Tankins made another foul turn to the right, catching everyone of guard and easily tearing Ayaka's grip of Negi, causing him to fling back ruthlessly, bringing him to his feet as his back and head roughly slammed into the side of the chair behind him, severely bouncing his head back and forth as the impact thrusted it around cruelly while the cries of Ayaka shouting his name began again. The young mage squinted as he held back the aggressive yells of pain he wanted to shout out, closing both eyes tightly and grinding his teeth together with force, biting his blood covered tongue.

Peaking one eye opened with hesitation, Negi knew he had very little time before another devastating attack was made on him. What was happening? Why was Tankins doing this? Are the students ok? These were all questions that withered around his head like a bad smell, each desperate for an answer that he desired but had no chance to answer because of the growing pains and concerns, adding to the burden, adding to the horror. Motionly swaying his head slowly right to left, Negi watched his students…his friends, all of them, cry out for help. He watched Nodoka cover Akiras with both her hands and leaving herself completely exposed…he watched Ayaka shout at him, begging for both his safety and hers…he watched Ako…Natsumi…Makie, all of them huddle into a ball and hope for the best _"T-Their in trouble…"_ his fists clenched hard _"I…I will not allow my students to be harmed any longer!"._

With a boost of determination now on his side, Negi cravingly turned towards the front, where he sadistically glared at the man causing all of the commotion…Tankins. With his staff constricted in one hand and pointing upwards, the young mage harshly shifted his body so that it faced towards the large window splattered with blood and the pouring rain where he shunted his other hand up, strongly gripping the edge of the seat in front and begun eagerly pulling himself along the grimy floor, slowly but carefully lifting one foot high, fighting against both the heavy gravity and racing speeds that pondered around until slamming his footwear hard onto the hard surface and proceeding closer to the drivers seat.

Repeating the slow but successful tactic by carefully proceeding forward one step at a time, shifting his vindictive arms over each other and grabbing the nearest seat available where he would pull hard and drag himself along the narrow but straight gap between the rows of chairs. Thanks to the full frontal view of the window, Negi could clearly see the approaching obstacles, allowing him to brace for impact by holding on tight and take less damage as the bus aggravatingly swerved left and right with a darkening temptation to ignore dodging but instead continue to ram into the on going cycle of vehicles in Tankins sickening idea of fun.

It took a hefty amount of strength that degradingly exhausted him to the point that he was gasping for air, but the knowledge of being only a few feet away perked Negi up as the view of Tankins grew closer, revealing a crazed grin planted on one side of his face and widely spread out eyes, anxiously whizzing all over the place as if he was scanning the roads. His pupils were largely dilated as the strained blood cells tightly stretched themselves, barely hanging on by a thread. He was sunk into the fabric on the seat, feeling the soothing vibrations of the roaring bus run through him like a circuit and keeping him in one position, excluding the possibility of him flying out of the seat if roughly bumped around.

With one last pull, Negi lunged himself forward, securely digging his fingers into the corner of Tankins seat where he curled his head around, glaring at the neglected soldier that was meant to be protecting his students, but instead scared them…frightened them…lied…to them. The amount of pressure descending onto him caused the cramping pains in his stomach to sting like acid from his past injury that happened mere seconds ago, forcing him to slope down as he coughed and gag while one hand curled itself across his stomach, softly pressing against it and feeling the profound burning bruises contagiously swell up with pain. Just how hard was that hit to the stomach? How badly was he hurt?

Tankins flickered back and forth between the roads and Negi, harshly turning his neck where he would stare at the injured boy for a split second before turning his concentration back to the roads. His teeth inferiorly cringed as he angrily groaned, annoyed that he was unable to interact with the one attempting to stop him…he never intended on this…he never intended on being stopped. He was just a kid! They were all kids! So why was this becoming a problem! _"No…that's right…the boy isn't like the others…I should know" _pondered Tankins, tilting his head to one side with prospective thoughts while sighing with disbelief, half closing his mouth as it changed from a mild frown to an enjoyable smirk _"Tsk, Just another reason to keep him alive" _hiccupped Tankins, straightening up.

Further and further they went, nearing the crusty outer layer of the collapsing city where they would be one step closer to the Self Defence Force HQ. The infectious numbers lessened, one by one, creating an easier pathway to drive through as the rotting bodies of discomposure significantly decreased, leaving barely any undead left on the bloody roads, only to be blown back by the speeding winds furnishing of the bus like a raging fire, producing gusts of air that was barely visible to the human eye. The odd one or two were seen together, feeding of ghastly torn bodies that were most likely sole survivors who had unfortunately met a grisly demise, just miles away from freedom from the swarming hordes of flesh eating monsters, where the guaranteed safety was unfairly snatched away from them.

Impulsively hindering his fatigued head up as it faltered to slope back down with ruefulness, Negi gave Tankins a dirty look of displeasement…he knew he was there and yet he continued to ignore him with stubbornness. His wheezing inhales croaked as the savage pain made it hard for him to talk, contagiously exhaling a poor amount of air that brushed over Tankins with irritation. The young mages jaw sloppily opened, dripping out small drops of blood the hinged of the edge of his stained teeth "S-Stop the bus!" his snappy voice startled Tankins who shivered for a moment as Negi leaned in closer "We h-have to go back and get the others!" informed Negi.

Tankins choppy teeth grinded together, chipping away the whiteness that sparkled as he had trouble mustering up both a response and keeping concentration on the roads "Sit back down kid!" he demanded "I need you in one piece!" after that, a small mummer whistled out of Tankins voice, as if talking to himself. It was barely recognisable, but Negi was able to sour the words 'precious' and 'uninjured', which deeply concerned him.

The ignorance of Tankins just angered Negi more, causing him to lash out with seriousness intended "I said turn back! I wont allow you to leave them!" warned Negi.

"Look…boy" the word 'boy' was eerily stretched out and darkly expressed through an unusual voice of calmness "That woman… Mana…" his eyes cringed at the sound of her name "She…she told me to go on without them! Said something about getting the most vulnerable out of here first" replied Tankins, exchanging lies in hope of success.

"T-That's….that's a lie! S-She said we would do this together! They need our help! We need to go back!" explained Negi.

A deep chuckle exposed itself instantly after Negi finished his sentence as Tankins lowered his head, hiding it away in the little shadow that was available and creepily lowering his jaw while sighing with a consuming thought "Yeah?" his head remained still, but his brown eyes strainfully stretched themselves to one side, catching a glimpse of the exhausted Negi "What are you going to do about it in the state you're in?" a murky grin "I'm the driver here…not you!".

Without warning, Negi surprisingly heaved forward, leeching his free hand around Tankins rugged wrist and digging his fingernails deep into the clothing he wore, securing a tight grasp as he began pulling hard, attempting to pull him away from the wheel "Not for long…" whispered Negi, who's red stringy hair waved around his forehead, covering his bright eyes and foreshadowing his indescribable expressions.

This time, Tankins fully turned and glared back at the determined mage, where their eyes deeply aligned and trapped one another in a battle of saneness and bravery, fully occupying Tankins concentration away from the clearing roads. The talented soldier momentarily smirked with manipulation before his honest grin dastardly sunk down into an abominating frown as the reply angered him "Is that…a threat?" growled Tankins in the same unusual, deep but soft voice.

At that moment, a flare sparked in Tankins now glowing red eyes, resembling his anger that completely replaced the insaneness and awoken his true purpose…his true identity. The haunting stares told Negi everything…he didn't intend on following the plan…he never intended on it…but instead schemed a patronising idea of pure selfishness that involved leaving the others to their death…even his own team mate…friend, Lilason, and take the remaining students to his domain, where he would receive all the glory. It was so obvious and clear now that Negi hated himself for not seeing it sooner…how was he able to hide it so well!

The indescribable expressions of Tankins was enough to notify Negi of the dangers approaching, but his anticipation never expected when or how, and unfortunately for him, it was much sooner rather than later, sooner than he had expected…quicker…than the average human being should be able to move.

Before being given the chance to react, Negi experienced a devastating push as Tankins used the very same hand Negi had a hold off to lash out at the young mage, jolting the back of his clenched fist backwards to pummel his bruised chest with his hard knuckles that crackled on impact as the darkened soldier fiercely grunted with judgement, yelling out a harsh "Idiocy will get you killed…boy". The force of the outrageous hit gagged Negi to cry out in pain as the bruising simply absorbed the savage attack, adding to the serious damage that had already been inflicted onto him by The First just days earlier. He ruefully staggered back with a disturbing posture, hunching down as if hit in the stomach while his eyes strainfully stretched open with indignity, creating awry lines of knackeredness and consuming pain under his eyes as Negi released his grip on Tankins, slapping one hand on the wound as the other desperately waved around, attempting to grasp on something that would keep him upright while he tremendously trembled back with an unbalanced stance. His steps were slow and subtle, but it was as if a heavy weight was pulling him back, dragging the poor boy along the dirty surface, helpless but to proceed back, unable to stop, wasting all his hard work as the sight of Tankins dimmed, as he grinned proudly at the sight of the lost boy, turning away and back to the roads.

"_W-W-What more c-can I do? I…I hurt…it all hurts…my spells are to powerful in such a confined space…I need…I need help…I…I need" _Negi was interrupted as the warming palms of Ako and Akira gently pushed themselves against his aching back, halting his staggering as the warmness proceeded onto his arms where both girls had leaned outwards from the seats and curled their fingers around them, relieving him as they supported the exhausted mage to point that he actually slouched down, putting more weight down while struggling to stand up. He quietly gasped for oxygen, numbingly turning his head towards Ako who was insisting on caring for him using her experiences as a nurse, whimpering "Sensei! Please! You mustn't continue in the state you're in!" she implied, partially ignoring her own safety for the reassuring feeling of Negi's circumstancing. He wanted to stand, he wanted to continue, but the gut wrenching buzzing of pain faltered him to even reply to Ako's sweetening response. He could only drop his jaw, inhaling and exhaling large amounts of thinning air as he watched Ako examine the easily visible dark bruising that completely shadowed his chest and exposing itself just under his neck, becoming unable to hide away any longer and deeply concerning the knowledgeable student while her face turned pale with worry.

Thump. A mourned silence broke out between the students and Tankins as an treacherous clamping sound ricocheted violently above them. The outrageous thump sent out sonic vibrations that travelled through the raging bus, passing along and through the students like a ghost and leaving the an empty space of horror deep within their souls, making them cold…making them shiver with utter confusion, becoming speechless. One by one the startled students slowly rotated their heads upwards, all simultaneously moving to the harmonic rhythm of the purring engine and aligning their sight to one point of the bus. The unethical viewpoint was horrendous and forced a lot of the students to gasp, where as Negi simply stared, gulping hard, suddenly articulating an uneasy feeling of deadly worry that something was approaching…no…that something…was here.

At the very same time Tankins was looking over his shoulder, eerily stretching his eyes to the side and glaring at the source of the noise. He could only think of one sentence, and it was that sentence that he disgustingly spat out with suspense, croaking out the loud yet unnoticeable words "What the hell was that!" to everyone else, expecting some kind of answer to woe his concern, but instead he received more silence, which greatly irritated him.

At the end of the worn down bus, located in the shrouded shadows of darkness that roamed across the seats, was the discomforting image of the roof of the bus barely holding together as it looked like it was about to cave in. The metal had forcefully been pushed downwards as someone…or something, had crashed on top of it, pushing the force of the impact downwards and completely sinking the metal inwards, creating a round lump that horrifically spread out with damaged curves sharply and dangerously pointing down cautiously. It left them speechless…what kind of obstacle or creature would have enough force to bend and crack hard metal without completely destroying the bus! Whatever it was…it either entirely miscalculated the damage it would have done…or it intended to keep the bus running, no matter how much damage the outer layer took, which brought up another question…what was currently on the roof of the speeding vehicle that could easily be overturned with the slightest movement?

The awkward silence lasted too long, longer than anyone had wanted as it crept them out. Just mere seconds ago they were screaming for help…but now…they didn't know what to do. Do they rely on Negi, who is already considerately damaged and requires medical attention? Do they look to Tankins who started this whole panic? Or do they wait and hope…that whatever made the sinking hole of metal was either gone, or just an obstacle that accidentally landed on top of the already damaged bus.

They didn't expect it…no one expected the unsuspecting. Just when the students felt as if they could lower their guard, the squealing, frightening sound of metal crunching and bending was once again inflamed as they all watched a smaller lump bolder itself into the surface of the ceiling, grinding an outline of what appeared to be a footprint that slowly sunk down and looking ready to collapse the sheltering roof. It was so sudden, causing everyone to flinch with hospitality, including Negi who ambivalently cringed as the constricted grasps of Ako and Akira tightened with fear and exhilaration, seeking protection from their sensei.

Leisurely taking it's time, the footsteps gradually began proceeding strangely around the roof, at first just lounging around the same position as if something was turning, slightly shuffling forward and side to side to catch a better view of something that caught it's attention. Then, silence again. The awry footsteps stopped, the remaining caving metal stayed intact and the long pause made it seem that nothing was there in the first place, but it didn't stop everyone from resiliently leering upwards, each of them feeling their effective heartbeats pound against their ribcage as they motionly swerved their heads along the damaged ceiling of the bus with static fear, expecting anything. Some hesitated to look away, faltering to lower their heads as the overwhelming fear pierced the very essence of bravery that was tangled in gooey nightmares, shrouding all aspects on what to do and shredding the little positive energy that struggled to keep intact.

All of a sudden, to everyone's shock, the rapid footsteps appeared again, this time directed forward where they madly approached the middle of the bus, travelling in a perfect straight line, right down the centre until fumingly halting itself above Negi with a devious intention. Only when the young mage scornfully tilted his head up with minimum control did his breathing become heavier, as sweat tore through his glands and as the petrified but alerted boy loudly gulped with dreadfulness. All that could be heard now was the ferocious rain, splattering against the fragile windows and producing the same pattern of pitter patters, but that silence was easily broken when the innocent whispers of Ako and Akiras humming his name whistled through the toxic atmosphere, each whimpering a high pitched tone of worry that echoed in his ears "N-Negi s-sensei" they stuttered, joining his distressing glares as they looked high above him, still keeping an overly secure grasp on his sloppy arms that numbingly slouched down.

He was stunned. The quakes of shivers sorely travelled through his overworked veins, causing his blood to run cold and become easily detectable from Ako who flinched as she absorbed the coldness radiating of Negi. It was a long, haunting wait as the scornful actions of everyone turning silent tensed him to the point that he slowly shook his head with shock, unsure on what to do, burning with anticipation, bawled with marred darkness that surrounded and blanked out any thoughts considered helpful to the situation at hand. But nothing he could do would prepare him for what happened next, nothing that would make it any better or worse, nothing that could prevent the inevitable from becoming reality.

A blood garnished claw sharply impaled the ceiling, viciously tearing through the yellow paint and hard metal where it shot out the opposite side and forcing the students to scream as they leaped out of their seats with fear, watching the five claws elegantly twitch around for mere moments before flattening themselves against the fabric of the roof, taking a deep grip of the influenced obstacle that sheltered them. Negi devastatingly gasped with daunting emotions, but was barely heard because of the screams of the students who could do nothing but watch as the claws started sinking further into the metal as if it were wet clay where it took a tighter grip to the unstable material. Moments later, a second pair of claws ear splittingly tore through the delicate roof, joining the first pair where they both bit down hard and dented the damaged metal.

There was no time to react as the empty feeling inside Negi filled up with a composing phobia of apprehension, that he and his students were now officially in danger and his duty to protect them was useless in such a vulnerable position and space. What to do…what to do! Back and forth the thought floated in his mind, chaotically splurging undecided answers which even he wasn't impressed with.

A long, bleeding screech ghastly illuminated across the area with two voices colliding into one and becoming a dark, devilish, sickening voice of pleasure that sounded just like a fingernail on a blackboard, making a lot of the students blissfully cover their ears in mental pain. The reason for the existence of the illusional screech was obvious as further investigation by Negi as he slowly recovered and daringly looked up, only for him to dreadfully witness the claws ferociously drag themselves opposite ways, powerfully ripping the roof open without hesitation by bending the metal outwards where the split ends dangerously pointed upwards.

More and more the ceiling was effetely stretched open, spreading the echoed grinding sounds from the disastrous tearing around the frightened students who ducked and covered for safety. Eventually, a growing hole was made, big enough for Negi to experience the acid rain slip through and roughly land on his bare skin, eerily sliding down his pale, abrupt face where the leeched burning sensation singed the first layer of his fragile skin, leaving barely visible smoke to wither into the open air available. It forced his lips to quiver open, revealing his white teeth awfully crackle together while he lowered his eyelids to avoid any eye contact with the rain, temporarily blurring his vision and making the scenery indescribable.

It wasn't an improvement. Thanks to the greyish clouds that was formed by the unleashed smoke and hellish rotting air, the dimmed darkness in the bus only grew, instead of being shed by the envious light hidden behind the glowish fogs, giving Negi a very limited variety of scenery to look at as he continued to stare out at the abolished world before him, including the clouds…the burning buildings…even the small drops of rain they he knew would eventually land on him with threatening affects.

Then, he saw something unpleasant, something that left him absolutely neglected to even blink while his jaw consumingly dropped with pretentious verification that left a inhumane scar of shock in his life. If it hadn't been for the two linguistic girls holding him up, Negi would once again be staggering back, unable to comply with his surroundings as he focused purely on the monster before him. Mana had warned him about this…she warned everyone…not to interact with him…not to be fooled by his appearance…he never thought he would meet him again, at least not for a while…not alone.

The hole was twice the size as before, and through that gap revealed the notorious figure, crouching down as he aggressively pulled back both arms, ripping his claws away from the torn metal where he childishly slapped them both on top of his knee's as if not bothered by what he had done, but instead treated it as an everyday job accomplished. The figures glowing red eyes glared at Negi and nothing else, shortly after stretching out a devious grin, most likely from the young mage's aggravating reactions to his presence. His black spiky hair shifted up high and the bold black zigzag stained into his skin that escaped from the eyes and into the mouth disgustingly squirmed around, acting out like veins. It was him…it was Kotaro…it was…The First.

Immediately after the sickening grin, a stinging flash of lightning buzzed across the sky, flaring the sky yellow behind Kotaro and making him look swiftly graceful, followed by the thunderous encounter which shattered Negi's senses as he witnessed Kotaro's positioned change from crouched to standing straight with his arms calmly down by his side instantly after the lightning dispersed into the atmosphere.

Negi's eyes spiked opened wide as he became lost in the blood red eyes of Kotaro who analysed the pathetic students before him, and the whole time he could feel the venomous water droplets break like glass and shatter over his hunched back that showed no effect. Soothingly turning his stiff neck calmly to the left, the existence of Ako burned into his sight as her unstable but predictable facial expressions said everything "Why Kotaro? How?" the knowledge caused Kotaro's grin to grow bigger on one side, slouching one side of his face down as the stretched smile strainfully widened _"So…boy…you haven't told them yet, have you?" _thought The First as it sniffled with humour. He then swayed his head back and past Negi again, this time catching a glimpse of Akira who proximately squealed and flinch once being the centre of attention to the unknown beast, slightly turning her head away in hope that he would look away…but he just chuckled, that such pitiful attempts to remain safe and hidden were still being tested…_"They don't understand…safety was impossible…escape…is just a myth"._

Finally his sight ended back up on Negi who took note of The First's fatal stares towards his students. He heavily planted his feet onto the ground, desperate to regain his balance so that the assistance of his students were no longer required…but it was futile. Kotaro leaned in closer, where the savouring taste of success smothered his lips as Kotaro deliciously licked them repeatedly, swirling his tongue around until leaving it poked out to make a childish face of smugness as he spoke "Ahh…" a pleasurable exhale as the boys blood infested saliva began disgustingly dripping off his tongue "Going somewhere?" sighed Kotaro, tilting his head back and stretching his neck upwards as his eyes dropped to the bottom of the sockets, still keeping view of Negi.

Negi gasped with trembling instinct. This was The First, the creature that had an addiction to make others suffer…his students…suffer. Danger was just seconds away. He panicked and uniquely shot his head down towards Ako where their eyes unpleasantly aligned for all the wrong reasons. Blinking uncontrollably, heavily breathing in shock as the knowledge that his students were once again face to face with this monster, he had no choice but to shout the first sentence that came to his mind, in hope that it would help in someway "Everyone! Get away from the ho-" The interruption of Kotaro was a gruesome one, a sight that made his students cry out Negi's name in horror. The young mage gagged and choked for oxygen as the hard skinned texture of Kotaro's bloody hands tightly wrapped itself around Negi's sore neck, harshly digging his curling fingers into the soft, delicate skin as the possessed wolf boy leaned and stretched his arm out wide.

The Hayno boys thumb deeply pressured Negi's wind pipe, making breathing almost impossible as the savage sounds of wheezing burst out of his mouth. Slowly but disturbingly, Kotaro started pulling back, bending his elbow with force and yanking on him like a rag doll. Negi was lifted up from the floor, scarily hovering above the ground where the sudden jerk backwards easily tore him from Ako's and Akira's grip, causing them to thrust forward and fall to their knee's as they helplessly watched their sensei being sickly dragged through the self made hole that poured with poisonous rain that trickled on top of his head, both heart breakingly screaming "NEGI!" sorely. Others such as Ayaka and Madoka tried to reach out, only to falter and miss, just inches away from connecting with their sensei.

While roughly being dragged though the gaping hole, threads of Negi's clothing was caught by the tips of the sharp, bent metal, acting as a barrier that only humiliated him further as his covering clothing was insipidly torn, revealing parts of his bare skin that had been cut and badly bruised by all of this. Negi couldn't resist the groping he was receiving, no matter what he did…he was simply too weak, where as his opponent was far more devious…far more careful…more accurate and planned to his surroundings and his next moves. In a last effort, the young mage brawled with himself to lift his weak, aching arms that were inaccurately controllably thanks to the sudden panic of Kotaro choking him…of The First choking him. He tried to gulp, only for the saliva to become blocked halfway down his throat and vigorously forced back up, where he would gag and cough it out into the rotting air, barely missing Kotaro. Using all his strength, Negi managed to take an insecure grip on Kotaro's wrist, but now he was exhausted, unsure if he could even pull him away.

A standstill broke into the threatening situation as Kotaro halted Negi high above him, still choking him with one hand while the other configureously fidgeted around by his side, twitching with patience and excitement The deep examination of the young mage through Kotaro's eyes was so much…different…he had more respect for him, an urge to fight him, to question him. Apart from the coated blood that stained Negi's cheeks with his own substance from the earlier attack, he resembled his past image from their last encounter…nothing had changed…The First was not impressed.

As the beast within held Negi high using Kotaro, watching him endure the fierce winds and repeated pounding of the toxic rain scorch his back and inflicting pin pointed stings on the bare skin showing thanks to the torn clothes, joined by the devastating lightning and thunder which matched the situation disturbingly perfect, The First noticed the amount of efficiency in Negi trying to remain conscious and avoid showing fear or weakness, when inside he truly felt nauseated as the oxygen supply was thinning and being cut off, churning his stomach and making him feel sick to the point that a strange tingle of adrenaline spread throughout his body, making the hairs on his arm stand with static. Although in unexplainable harm, Negi couldn't help but wonder how The First managed to keep such a hitched balance with the speed the bus was going.

He watched with amusement…the way Negi gasped for air, the way his teeth cringed and revealing his blood red teeth, the way his eyes flickered as he struggled to remain conscious…this was the boy that aided in his demise…it was a lustful purpose to see him suffer, and The First enjoyed every minute of it as it exhaled pleasurably, preparing itself to speak "My my my…" he began shaking his head, grinning "What have you done to yourself…boy" humorously sniffled Kotaro.

He expected no response…but that was the joy of it. The First listened to the cold hearted moans and groans from Negi who desperately wheezed for air, gagging, choking, unable to make a fair reply and giving The First another opportunity to speak "You are all alone boy…no one to help you, no one to save you…it is rather deceiving…isn't it? When you know that your powers are nothing without the assistance of others…that unleashing your full potential is now…shall we say…useless. " there was a daunting pause as Kotaro continued to enjoy the brutal suffering Negi was going through before speaking again "Parasite…" a whispered insult, one that it didn't care if Negi heard or not, simply because it's concentration was focused elsewhere as Kotaro swayed Negi to the side and away from the hole, leaving a full view of what was inside where The First proceeded to examine the students, witnessing them scream all sort of phrases that involved the safety of their teacher…of Negi "Let him go!" they would cry "You're hurting him!" others screamed, to his satisfaction.

The bleeding screams sent shivers of pleasantness down his spine as Kotaro pulled Negi back to his original position, dangling over the hole where all his students horrifically watched his pain "Do you know…why…" before the word 'why' was said, there was a short pause as Kotaro's mouth perched open for the minority of that short pause, as if thinking of what to say next "Why I haven't killed you yet?" This time, he wasted no time for a failed response, immediately quoting his next sentence "Why I chose to attack you…why I want you alive?" hissed The First.

The tight grip around Negi's neck was slightly loosened, but still not enough for him to talk properly while Kotaro's grin sunk down into a frown "It wants you" he sounded rather disappointed "The Virus…you're precious boy…valuable…without you…what am I to oppose the very creature that wants you if it is not worth the effort? Why should I exist if I have no formable opponent? It would be no fun…less blood…no more exxxcccitement…" the slurred word eerily slithered out of Kotaro's mouth, running along his tongue that slouched on top of his lower lip.

A gargle of unrecognisable words splurged out of Negi's mouth, causing The First to bring him closer where their faces became inches away from one another, giving The First the despicable pleasure of mocking him "Shhh…" Kotaro lifted his other anxious hand, stretching out one finger and pressing it against Negi's dry pale lips, halting him from speaking "It is listening…as we speak, it yearns in on our conversation…it is here boy, waiting for the perfect moment to strike you, to become you. I…" a long pause "Will not allow that to be achieved so easily. It must earn it's rewards…to prove itself to the infection spreading…to prove that it is worthy to have a host such as yourself before facing a true foe like me" growled The First.

"_I-Is he…p-protecting me? F-From The V-Virus? Wait…it's here! On the bus with my students!" _wondered Negi with panic.

Kotaro slowly hovered his finger along Negi's exposed face, scraping the tip of his nail over his fragile skin and gently stroking the chin of the young mage "Define nightmare" the creature suddenly asked "A catastrophic mental image only seen when asleep in which the human mind projects an illusion of the host's biggest fear…but in everyone else's case, together, they illustrate …Mahora's Worst Nightmare" grisly grinned Kotaro.

"_W-Why is he telling me this? What is he doing? Stalling?" _Negi wondered again.

Finally, after an agonizing effort, Negi was able to cough out a short but mumbled sentence which shored over The First like a blanket and caused it's wild senses of both Kotaro's animal instincts and The Firsts deathly desires to activate, making his pupil's extremely dilate and making the Hayno boy hysterically laugh like a hyena as the weak, quiet phrase of "W-What do you m-mean?" cried out of Negi's voice, ringing in the ears of Kotaro pleasurably.

"Can you see it boy?" quiet sniffles shot up Kotaro's nostrils as he inhaled the scent of Negi, the scent of blood…"Can you smell it? The reasons, the excuses, the questions and answers...they no longer matter or exist, not anymore, not when it is here…stalking it's prey…planning…executing…it intended on this…all of this. The escape, the sabotage, the bus… just for you boy…the very essence of your wretched being has been targeted by The Virus each and every second of the way. Why?" a crazed chuckle escaped Kotaro's mouth as he found his own words amusing "Why you ask? Isn't it simple?" it sarcastically questioned "You…are the only match for my host…your powers are equal…they are balanced, even, fair…ohhh the battle would be glorious. The Virus wants you…it needs you…and as long as The Virus pursues you…" he started to nod with satisfaction "I…will be there. Don't you see!" the force of his palm around Negi's neck increased with premature glory, squeezing hard and making Negi gasp harder while Kotaro's other hand flickered itself of Negi's soft skin, outstretching itself towards the side where he slapped the rotting air, indicating the world before them "This whole escape was pointless boy! My existence of being here was inevitable! As long as you hold The Virus unwillingly, and alone, you are no match for both of us. Wherever he goes…I shall be there, to stop it…to kill it…for I am here, and here I am" explained Kotaro, exchanging additional grins and huffs of exhales.

Without warning, fed up with being useless, Negi regrettably swung himself back, gaining the necessary force needed as he thrusted his knee forward on the way back down, brutally connecting it with Kotaro's chin where the violent crackle of his teeth harshly colliding clicked in his ears , continuously pushing it forward until his neck mobility was no longer at a possible movement, fully bent back while his chin poked up high, still being smudged by Negi's worn out knee with force.

The movements wasn't as anticipated as he would have liked it too have been. Stumbling back, Kotaro only slightly staggered around with hesitation, still keeping a negative grip on Negi, remaining silent and oblivious, barely hinting a side affect, if any affect at all. The awry, sticky warm breathe that deeply exhaled through Kotaro's nose spread like germs, hovering over the bare skin of Negi's knee. The young mage didn't blink, nor did he inhale the dire oxygen he begged for, adjustingly keeping calm and conscious while staring at the impacted attack, wondering if Kotaro was simply knocked out, or in a state or shock. He didn't need to wait long though…and his answer was one to complain about. A dark, sinister chuckle escaped the mouth of the possessed boy, shortly followed by the inhumane counter it insisted on performing as Negi could feel his knee being pushed back by nothing but the head movements of Kotaro, causing him to cringe his teeth and stressfully open his eyes as the sloshed facial expressions of The First herded itself back down along with Negi's still connected knee that was pushed down, where the two circular blood red sockets of his opponent slowly dropped down and aligned with his, shortly joined by a manipulative grin "Persistent…aren't you? Croaked The First, changing his smile to a degrading frown.

Exhausted, his knee sloppily dropped down and dangled over the open hole, humiliatingly drawing his eyes down with failure…_"I couldn't protect my students…" _sobbed Negi as tears crept into the corner of his eyes.

It didn't take long for The First to notice the glistening wetness surrounding Negi's eyes, sparkling with travesty and hopelessness. It brought him another inch closer as Kotaro's head numbingly swayed side to side, tilting left to right as it with interest as it examined and questioned the new discovery "What…are these?" asked The First, rudely scooping the tip of Kotaro's crooked, bloody claw under the first falling tear that dropped "Ahh…a tear of sadness, only produced once the host is feeling distraught and partly hopeless…at least…this is what I can gather from this boys juicy, ripe intelligence. You're pathetic…I expected much, much more from you boy…but so far you are nothing but a disappointment, you have acted as to what a usual human would, envious, regretful, pointless…was my encountering even worth the time? And to think that this wolf boy admired you for your power, your decisions, skills, techniques…" Kotaro's eyes rolled back as his head shook slowly while tutting "He is obviously mistaken…for he would be disillusioned if he saw you now" sighed The First "Perhaps you are not as threatening as I thought…perhaps it is someone else I should worry about being inclined with The Virus…maybe, just maybe, alone, you are nothing but an overconfident human".

Meanwhile, inside the bus that was filled with a panicky atmosphere, Tankins furiously continued to severely speed through the relatively clear roads using the battered bus, overwhelmingly becoming seriously submissive and aggravated to the never ending cries that screeched through the splitting air, echoing around his hearing and almost making him deaf. He hadn't bothered to look back since the earlier incident with the sudden lump appearing on top of the roof, he only assumed that the continuous pounds was Negi ricocheting around, and the growing screams was because of his devilish actions.

Suddenly, a heavy hand slapped itself against Tankins complexly positioned shoulder, leaving an aggravating stinging that caused him to hum a growled rhythm of snapping resilience. He angrily turned, widely opening his quivering lips as the expressible exhales of aggression streamed through his teeth that horrendously crunched down tight, accidentally splurging out spit with the exhales "WHAT!" he harshly shouted.

There was barely any waiting time between his question and the response he received as the desperation took over. Standing with legs that shook like jelly, slightly hunched down as one hand leaned over Tankins shoulder and the other fiercely grasped the collar of her green threaded shirt was Natsumi, shivering with frightfulness as she instantly cried at the top of her voice "You have to help him! Please!" in an innocent, sweet voice of sadness while tears started to produce themselves.

He was rather impressed that such a young girl could withstand the immense speed they were going at…but that was no excuse to interfere. He heartlessly nudged his shoulder forward, awfully slipping Natsumi's weak grip as he watched her face light up with dejection, as he listened to her powerful sniffles of misery where she proceeded to ask again, this time more politely and quietly, but in a more sorrowful and hopeless tone "P-Please…" Natsumi leaned in, gently taking a soft grip with both hands on Tankins leathered arm "Help them" sobbed Natsumi.

"Bah! What are you talking about!" hissed Tankins, startling the victimised girl.

"I-It's Negi!" Natsumi mischievously took a step back and to the side, gloomily swinging her left hip towards the hole while stretching out her pale arm, pointing at the dangling Negi and another boy who was hidden behind the bruised and battered body of the young mage "Something's happening! Someone's hurting him!" cried Natsumi.

Tankins eyes fiercely blistered open, almost shattering the black glasses he wore as a round, glowing redness suddenly burned through them "The boy…"he furiously exhaled what Natsumi swore was steam "I cannot allow such a precious host to be consumed" hissed Tankins, sternly pushing his hands against the soft fabric of the seat where he slowly rose, narrowly hitting his head against the soft ceiling and easily overlooking the other students as he looked down at Natsumi who stuttered at his insane actions…who was driving the out of control bus!

Very slowly rotating his head, Tankins examined the closest students near him until catching one in particular. She was perfect, just what he needed "You!" croaked his awry voice. The heavily armoured soldier stormed a few feet forward, harshly pushing Natsumi to one side with his fist where she fell back on one of the seats, landing on top of Makie's lap. He abruptly stomped his feet hard against the sticky surface of the floor until halting himself from the chosen woman. Slightly crouching down and leaning in as the uncontrollably swerving of the speeding bus madly screeching to the right had no physical or mental affect on him, Tankins gripped the collar on the wrinkled woman who cradled herself in the corner, forcefully being dragged out of her cocoon of safety as the deep exhales of Tankins wheezed over her, leaving a rotting scent that made her twitch "You will do as I say, without arguments…undersssstand?" hissed Tankins, putting a lot of emphasis on the word 'understand'. It was Lesora, who instantly bobbled her head up and down with fear as she whimpered a soft hum of sorrow, pleasing the soldier "Good" he simply replied, smirking.

Without hesitation…or giving Lesora a chance to pick herself up, Tankins dankly tugged on her collar hard, forcing the elderly woman to drag her knee's across the seat until they feel over the edge where she landed them like a cat, only to be immediately tossed adaptively through the middle as Tankins threw her forward, releasing his grip where she stumbled forward towards the drivers seat "You will drive this trash, you will comply with my demands or I will kill you…and don't think I wont hesitate to put this damnation on any other child here who has or hasn't the knowledge of driving" warned Tankins, crudely pointing at Lesora and barely giving her any chance to turn and face him before he started turning himself towards the large, open hole.

Without a second thought, Tankins bent his knee's and knelt down, slowly lowering himself where his height aligned with the admirable Ako who faintly watched the crazed soldier take a rough grip on the edge of her and Akira's seat. Then, it happened, the inevitable, the catastrophic collision of the three sides, the good…the bad…and the ugly, all colliding into one scene, one situation…one…chance. Pushing hard as his fingers melted into the soft surface of the fabric, the crazed soldier launched himself through the hole as his feet levitated off the ground, where he accurately shot straight through the middle, missing any cautious contact with the risky bent metal that had torn Negi's clothing earlier. The after affect left a shock wave of power and winds that breezed over Ako like a prickly insect, leaving an uncomforting sensation of awry itching that made her lips quiver, but that wasn't the only thing it left…Ako, Akiras, all the girls gulped at the sight of the floor position Tankins was just standing on, where it revealed two imprinted footprints denting the metal and creating similar lumps to that of the ceiling created from earlier on.

Thanks to the now growing speeds of the bus beginning to regain themselves as Lesora was forced to comply with the threatening demand, the movement of the bus was less than pleasing to Tankins, who was currently in mid air, preparing to hit the roof of the yellow school bus that's speed outmatched his, causing his landing to go…un-accordingly to his liking. Falling like a short lived meteor, flaming for vengeance, lusting revenge, stalking his prey, he landed a few inches behind the hanging mage that was in dire need of assistance. On impact, Tankins had crouched down as one knee fiercely crunched itself into the hard metal, producing another lump as the other knee poked up high while leaning down on one foot. Both hands calmly slammed against the roof, one slapping it's outstretched palm onto the metal surface for support where as the other had it's fist clenched, thumping his crippled knuckles heavily onto the roof and creating a sore echo of cosmic crackling of the bones.

His head tilted downwards, looking at nothing but the crumbling roof and concealing his vanquished expressions of anger and frustration, shadowing them with not only darkness, but the soaring winds and blazing rain that easily blew the red beret of Tankins head and causing his brownish hair to friskily wave around without any motive to control it. Then, slowly, he eerily stretched his eyes upwards until they hit the top of the sockets, slightly shifting his head upwards where the despicable sight of Negi's back caused him to ferociously sighed with anger before speaking "Let…my…host…go" hissed Tankins, taking long inhales of the thin, unappetising oxygen before disturbingly exhaling the words with fury.

Hidden behind the barely conscious boy was a remorseful laughter of hatred and amusement…of depth perception, developed vocabulary of darkening blissfulness that blistered in Tankins ears, causing him to grunt with annoyance and impatience before his ears perked up as a low rhythmic voice appeared "So…" there was a long, prohibited pause as the heavy breathing of the still chuckling figure replaced any other sound "It's finally here…" whispered the voice.

Obediently, the maintaining principle was no longer focused on the exhausted Negi who started to slowly rotate as the outstretched hand choking him swayed to the side, positioning the boy over the edge of the bus where the laughing beast fully revealed itself to Tankins, childishly letting his tongue hang out where it sloppily leaned against his lower lip that was drenched in blood "VVViirruuusssss" croaked Kotaro's voice, briefly stretching the word out with pleasure as the loudness of it grew until the very end. The Hayno boy politely smirked with a proud thought, staring at Tankins…or, the newly found Virus, completely ignoring the situation Negi was now in.

"You…" whispered Tankins "You shouldn't be here…" Like the puppet he now was, The Virus lifted Tankins of the ground, changing his gruelling crouching positioning to professionally standing up straight "I inactivated you…I saw it…you were unconscious, on the bed, somehow able to repel my transaction…there is no knowledge of your awakening, of your presence being available at the start of this pathetic attempt of escape…" convinced The Virus.

"Hm hm hm" a quiet chuckle "What are you implying?" grinned Kotaro.

"Don't toy with me boy…" sadistically exhaled Tankins, twirling his neck around and cracking it as soft sniffles shot up his nose with suspicion "You don't smell like one of them…but instead attack your own kind…what are you?" questioned The Virus.

The devilish smile of Kotaro vanished as the question brought back old memories…painful memories…"I…" a short hum quickly followed "I am what I am, does that not appear to you in this simplistic form?" exasperated Kotaro "Does my mental scarring not connect to you, from the past, the present and the soon to be glorious future? Do you not feel my pain that you caused! That you left with me upon our separation!" he snapped.

"You make no sense boy…I should have known that the symptom was just physiological…you are simply…insane" complied The Virus.

"No…you're wrong. Appearances can be deceiving…actions speak differently from words, you are just too ignorant to see that behind the your own stupidly of proudness. There are those who live, and those who die…and then there are the rare kind that sit inbetween, such as you and I. A living cell sheltering inside another living cell…particles merging with particles and becoming one, an inhumane thought sharing the host of another conscience, where eventually one dominates the other and takes complete control…it is all clear to you, isn't that right Virus? As we speak you and I are experiencing the life of a living human, where as before we sickly shared the rotting corpse that once belonged to me…until you manipulated me…until you convinced me that together, my desires would be accomplished and that I would prove myself to you…to my master" The daunting atmosphere shrieked with realisation as The First watched Tankins facial expressions mourn with disbelief, as his majestic posture hunched down "I am not human, nor am I a virus, but rather an infection…a curse…spreading my being to others where they listen to my demands, where the valid call of my name gathers their attention…I was the primary subject. The essential key to this outbreak. The most important element…I was…I am…The First" whispered Kotaro.

"W-What!" Tankins jaws utterly dropped as the new discovery had The Virus in fractions of emotions…anger…hatred…upset…aggravated…he didn't know which to feel, blurting out his first few words with a troubled mumble "N-No…no, no no no that's…that's not possible!" the repeated rejection made Kotaro smile "You should be dead!" The Virus went into a deep thought of reminisce, recalling the explicit memory that had become a complete lie to The Virus…"I left you to die in that burning corpse…I-It doesn't make sense…your major cells and vital particles should have been complexly exposed to the blistering cold and the bacterial oxygen…y-you should be dead!" Tankins unwillingly took a risky step forward, immediately after causing him to flinch as the actions of The First daringly froze him with nervousness "Ah ah ah" snickered Kotaro, nudging his head to one side, towards Negi "We wouldn't want your precious host to have an 'unfortunate' demise, now would we?" grinned Kotaro, fully aware that The Virus wouldn't hint to come any closer.

"You…you have no idea…what you have done" hissed The Virus "Do you!".

"Ohhh ho ho, but I do…that's the fun of it. By intervening with your spectacular plan to cowardly build your way up the chain of power…by foiling you chance to sustain a suitable host such as mine, you have regrettably come face to face with the truth, that success…is no longer an option. Why? Why you ask? How do you possibly expect to pariah yourself into a worthy host that can outlast the wolf boys power…my…power…in such a puny form that not even you have fully developed into yet…you still have his desires…you still have his personality…are you even aware that your abilities have not yet exceeded itself to it's full capability? It's full potential! Because you ignorantly transitioned yourself into a host that cannot withstand all of these at once…not like my host…we have had time to adapt…to become one, it was as easy as that, because we both truly shared more than you would think. A lust for power…a hunger for formidable opponents…I eaaarrneedd this boy, unlike you, who has yet to prove anything for the young mage I hold at my mercy" explained The First.

An unexpected laugh cropped out of Tankins sly mouth, acting out as a sickening cough of craziness that The Virus couldn't help but keep back "Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Is that what you really think! What you believe! You don't understand…you don't realise it! We!" Tankins began pounding his palm against his armoured chest "We have now hit an unexpected turning point! You and I, both a Virus with a mind of it's own, seeking control of the infectious army before us! But what good are they now! A decision befouling a decision, a request interfering with a request…what use is an army of undead if they do not follow orders my delinquent? You and I…we are the same, therefore, mentally, we produce the same amount of power in which they seek to follow…but what if…what if my order countered your order…or your order countered my order…who would they follow! Now do you see what you have done! We cannot command an army of undead because they do not know who to follow! When our orders, requests, demands collide, it will scramble them, confuse them, they will remain on the spot as they mindlessly wonder the streets, waiting for one order to overpower the other!" replied The Virus.

"Precisely…there can only be one, and there is only one solution…we fight, to the death…the only problem is…I have already proved myself, I have earned my host, where as you…you still need to impress the infection…you still need to show your leadership and duty, honour, trust towards your own kind…and that is why I cannot intervene with your death…yet. What am I to cowardly kill the competition if the fight is uneven in power? Would I truly be respecting my infectious followers by being a coward for my leadership? That would be sickening…" growled The First.

"What are you implying? Are you offering the child to fulfil my destiny to become one with him? Where our cells will merge, our abilities will collide and my power will be equal to yours?" questioned The Virus.

"Tsk, of course not, fool. I am simply delaying the fight. You can either prove yourself for the boy…or you find yourself another suitable host, either way…I can wait, and wherever these pathetic humans go…I will be there, watching, protecting the boy and his companions from your slick intentions" warned The First.

"Bah! Why do you care about these pitiful humans! Was it not you who wants me to be a worthy adversary? Are these not the ones who anxiously watched you burn in the flaming beam of magic, attempting to rid both you and me from this world! I say we remove them now…kill them…excuse the little things from our…'battle' of deciding fates…one fight…one leader" questioned The Virus.

"You and I are the primary objective, where as the humans are the secondary…they have a saying…'kill two birds with one stone'. Why not complete both in one final battle?" a devilish grin sprouted itself from Kotaro's bagged face "I have a theory" suddenly admitted The First "Or, more of a fact…about the humans" Kotaro slowly began pulling Negi closer, away from the edge of the speeding bus where he hovered over the ceiling, still gasping for air, begging to be released from Kotaro's harsh grip. Being halted, Negi could only watch and listen in on the interesting conversation as Kotaro sedately turned with treason, looking and examining Negi from head to toe as his head motionly tilted up and down numbly "You consider us the virus of this world, do you not? You are partly right. There was a time, once, before the outbreak started where this pleasant apocalyptic world was still sane, where we would be considered a 'virus'…but now…our existence is nothing but abnormal. Look around!" Kotaro madly waved his hand around "What do you see! Destruction…mayhem…corpses, both dead…and undead. In a world where diseases and virus's killed humans…it has completely changed. You and me…our species…have greatly outmatched and outnumbered the humans…we…are now the rulers…we…are the civilization. And then the remaining humans come along, spreading themselves amongst our fellow infectious followers and killing them one by one in completely different or similar ways, acting as a disease would, killing our growing race. This world has changed us…we are no longer the virus…the threat…but…the humans are, because they seek to make our existence become extinct by eliminating us, together, once again spreading amongst our groups and using their intentions to kill us one by one, acting as a virus would…they justify their purpose by BECOMING what we once were…and we…we are now the ones attempting to solve the problem, looking for solutions to rid our world of this menace, running, hiding, hunting, doing whatever we can to stay away from the humans and not catch their diseases. A small percentage of this world is full of the surviving humans, and he rest are us…and slowly, the virus, or humans, are picking us off one by one. The First and The Virus…are no longer the actual virus itself, where as humans…humans have become what we seek to destroy…ourselves…humans…ARE the virus" intelligently explained The First.

"Humans were always a virus, from the very start…they just compellingly differ from what we are, from what we desire and demand! We seek death! Power! Knowledge! Where as humans disgustingly multiply and drain the limited resources of this wretched world. They are like a swarm…they move from one area to the next…revoltingly mating…multiplying…sucking up the very life from the Earth they live off, they survive on…and then they stupidly do it again and again and again until eventually…nothing…nothing is left, and then the begging begins…the questions to why their ignorance wasn't stopped earlier" countered The Virus.

"And that's when we come in…" darkly snickered The First.

"Exactly. We are preventing this disaster by spreading another virus, a more powerful virus that will halt human population, exclude their multiplying, put an end to the continuous abuse they bestow upon their planet…we…are helping. We…are saving the world from the weaker virus famously known as…'the humans' and we will rebuild this world to a better civilization…unlike these fools, we will find another way to survive and not end everything. The human race will soon be extinct…we are still the virus…I…am still The Virus, and soon to be the most powerful being that will command my army to victory!" laughed The Virus.

"So, you're really that confident?" hissed Kotaro, turning his attention back to the barely conscious Negi "Let's see how confident you are…" a disturbing exhale of pleasure "With the boy in harms way…" he grinned.

Then, to The Virus's horror, just when he thought they were connecting…just as it thought that maybe…just maybe, The First could once again be manipulated to serve under it where betrayal would engulf the inhumane being within Kotaro, it's worst fear happened before it's very eyes. Using Tankins strained eyes, it watched The First, who was being flourished and drenched by the heavy rain as Kotaro's hair was blasted back, fatally release it's grip on Negi, harshly throwing him back while doing so.

The young mage brutally slid across the roof of the blood covered bus until falling over the edge, narcissistically dragging all his weight down where his body painfully slammed into the side of the windows and frightening many of the fazed students as they witnessed their sensei hanging on for life on a speeding vehicle, in the cold, wet weather while thunder and lightning continued to clash. By some miracle, Negi had managed to stay conscious and had mustered up the little strength he had remaining to take a weak but secure clutch on the edge of the slippery surface, cringing his crippled fingers with stiffness and chipping away at the yellow paint with his clean fingernails.

The Virus devastatingly gasped with animosity, fully turning it's attention towards the hanging child "NO!" it screeched before turning it's attention back to The First with a vengeful purpose…the only problem was…the fuzzy image of Kotaro slowly faded away…leaving a ghastly twitch of concern that was bombarded within seconds. The Virus experienced a gut wrenching punch to the stomach as The First skilfully used it's intense speed to race forward, forcing Tankins shattered body to hunch down over Kotaro, where he wheezed out groans of pain as saliva was inappropriately coughed out of his mouth, followed by mutilated blood which was washed away as the rain slammed into it.

A deceiving snicker of laughter snivelled out of Kotaro's mouth, only to be silenced as the unexpected counter attack of The Virus pummelled the boy to his knee's as Tankins lifted his elbow high, viciously dropping it like heavy weights where it collided into Kotaro's head and forcing him to fall to his knee's with suspense.

Tankins grinned "You underestimated me, and that is why I shall win, and why that boy shall soon be in my possession…" informed The Virus, tearing it's fingers into Kotaro's hair and pulling his head up, studying the odd expressions of the boy.

It wasn't what it expected though…Kotaro's facial expressions…The First's…facial expression…dully stayed blank as the same smile from before remained in it's same position "Hahaha…" an exhaled laughter "You are adapting quick, faster than I had anticipated…but your attempt is…futile" winked Kotaro.

With his lightening speed and ferocious power, Kotaro's hands heftily slapped themselves upon Tankins chest, producing a thwarting sound as blue sonic waves spread outwards. It was a delayed spell…one of the many new techniques The First had learned and had yet to test out…and it was enjoying every last second of it…lusting the tingle of power flow through it's veins…harnessing the melee attacks with pleasure.

The strike created a disperse of vicious winds that blasted back The Virus, causing Tankins battered body to fly through the air until violently landing on top of the front view widow, partly cracking the foggy glass and startling Lesora who flinched while having trouble driving accurately thanks to the blocking view of Tankins. Instantly after, giving The Virus no chance to react, The First leaped across the rotting air with deadly reflexes, assembling a consuming amount of delicious power that crashed itself into Tankins as Kotaro pounced of top of him, digging his knee deep into the stomach of the possessed soldier and forcing him to shriek abruptly. And during the entire situation, the barely visible cries of Natsumi shouting Kotaro's name appeared as the wolf boy revealed himself to her…but the question was…was he here to help…or another threat?

Meanwhile, still hanging on, Negi struggled to weakly lift himself as his slow, limited movements staggered him to even attempt the exhausting lift _"I…I can't…I-It's too…" _He was suddenly interrupted by the pleading sounds of echoing knocks that desperately crackled against the fragile windows…it was his students. Yue, Nodoka, Ayaka, Ako, everyone on the left side of the bus eagerly screamed his name in fear for his safety, repeatedly knocking against the windows in hope to encourage and awaken him _"I…I can't l-let my students down…t-their still in danger" _pondered Negi.

Deep thoughts surrounded him…his students…The First…The Virus…he couldn't allow this to continue! Gathering tremendous courage thanks to his students and their safety, Negi pulled hard, slowly dragging himself up until he was able to slam one knee onto the edge of the roof where he proceeded to use that to his advantage, pushing the rest of himself up until he was fully away from danger. Then, the young mage collapsed, outstretching his arms and flattening his stomach against the cold surface of the bus where he deeply gasped, inhaling and exhaling for oxygen his lungs wildly desired. The First and The Virus where in clear sight, both vulnerable, both unaware of his presence…_"T-This is my chance…Ugh…I…I can at least stall them…get them away from my students"_.

He amazed himself, but he didn't care, not now…not when the element of surprise…was now in his hands. Negi exhaustingly trembled up, slightly stumbling around and almost losing his balance before eventually aiming the staff he had questionably managed to hold onto the hole time towards The First and The Virus _"E-Enough is Enough"._

"Do you feel that Viiirruusss?" the word was eerily stretched out "That is what the humans refer to as ppaaaiinnnn….and we feel every last bit off it…humans are fragile unlike our species…humans…are easy to kill" chuckled The First. Kotaro descended onto Tankins, grabbing the worn down soldiers collar where he dragged his head up, only for him to experience a gruesome punch to the face by Kotaro's bruised knuckles that pounded his head back into the yellow surface of the bus "You are weak…pathetic…and worst of all, you aren't at all aware that you are no better than a human" insulted The First.

Suddenly, The First felt a heaved boot skim itself onto the stomach of Kotaro, causing it to pull an indecent but childish face while a snarling hiss screeched out of Kotaro's mouth as The Virus spoke "Neither are you…" whispered The Virus. An immense yell escaped Tankins mouth as he thrusted forward with force, using the enhanced power of Tankins to shove Kotaro off him as The Virus sneakily slithered by feet under and onto Kotaro's chest, blasting him back while his feet aggressively heaved forward.

The illuminated shrieks of both Kotaro and The First collided into one, creating a scarring echo of blistering vibrations which shattered the windows of all the buildings around them, but leaving the bus unaffected. Further and further in went, travelling in straight, accurate direction, unable to stop because of the monstrosity of power The Virus had hidden away and used…until tragedy struck.

"Come together and strike mine enemy. Magic Arro-" Negi was unavoidably interrupted as the flying body of Kotaro crashed into him, shattering the young mages essence like glass where both where forcefully knocked back, lifting him of the safety of the roof and leaping him back as Kotaro flattened himself into the bruised stomach of Negi…until it happened. Both reached the end of the bus, causing them to fly over the edge and fall, brutally slamming into the concrete ground covered in blood where they embraced the impact together, skidding along the hard surface and producing serious burns on their bare skin. Around and around they rolled, sometimes bouncing off the ground and ruefully hitting one another where they ended back on the ground, continuously skidding, other times just absorbing the splintering burns that they couldn't help but embrace.

Finally, both scarcely scorched to a halt, where they lifelessly lay there, very slowly becoming surrounded by the small crowd of undead that were available as they seeked to feast on what was left of the young mage. Closer and closer they got, one by one, limping forward with sickly toned groans and moans as the undead creatures turned back and forth between their master, and the human accompanied with it, lusting the easily exposed blood dripping down the skin of the pale faced boy. They were inches away, prepared for their feast…until…

"SSStop…" darkly hissed Kotaro, as if not affected at all by the horrific attack, but obviously angered by what just happened.

The disturbingly cut, graced and burned body of Kotaro eerily moved as his bleeding arm hovered across the lumpy concrete until his fist harshly clenched, instantly after pounding itself into the floor hard and denting the surface. Slowly, The First dragged Kotaro's head up while leaving his roasting body to lay flat on the floor, revealing long, marred scratch marks that completely covered his face and drenched him in blood. It deeply exhaled with immense anger and rage…watching the school bus fade away…watching The Virus…fade away into awry darkness. Kotaro's teeth cringed before his curiosity took over. His head notoriously turned, where The First witnessed the unconscious but still breathing Negi…causing it to sinisterly smirk "How…" his tongue poked out, licking his red, blood smothered lips and savouring the sweet, detailed taste "How delicious" exhaled The First.

Meanwhile, The Virus crept to his feet, looking astonishingly proud that it had proved The First wrong…that it…was the one that should be feared "Ahh…victory tastes sweet…now…where is the boy…I require his bod-" without warning, the awry screeches of the damaged school buses wheels churned themselves, creating a vast amount of misty black smoke that flared up like flames as sparks was created.

The unsuspecting and vicious stop forced Tankins body to fly back, savagely flinging him through the air where he hesitantly landed safely on his feet, facing the frozen bus with dominating intentions "What!" screeched The Virus, looking up with concern.

Through the cracked window, fearfully watching Tankins grow in anger, was Lesora and Natsumi, who anxiously shivered at the sight of the unethical soldier "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" roared The Virus, making both girls flinch.

Natsumi turned to Lesora with startling emotions, uniquely fidgeting with her clothing as she weakly spoke "Y-You hurt Kotaro…y-you aren't here to h-help us" whispered Natsumi with sorrow, not seeming to care if Tankins heard her reply or not. She then nodded, and The Virus watched he nod towards Lesora who pause for a short moment before nodding back and turning back to Tankins.

The purring engine then hummed fiercely, revving loudly as Lesora seeked to gain speed. They both watched Tankins eyes widely open with realisation…it…was the one who underestimated the humans….it…understands The First's fascination towards them…it…has been betrayed.

"Don't…you…dare…human" grisly whispered The Virus, clenching Tankins fists as it cautiously began taking steps forward…but it was no use.

Without warning, the tires screeched again before the school bus took off like a rocket, blasting ferocious winds that smashed into Tankins and making him stagger back before the revolting image of the bus approaching him forced him to twitch with insaneness. A split second decision…one it regretted…Tankins quickly leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the vehicle as it skimmed the edge of his clothing and once again knocking him back into a nearby overturned car, where he leaned back on it with shock as the departure of the bus left it speechless.

The First was gone…The boy was gone…there was no chance the next bus…IF…the others had survived would stop for Tankins…this was nor his victory or The Firsts…no…this time…it was the humans who exceeded the challenge…it was the humans…who became the true enemy of The Virus, and his army of undead.

"_This isn't over…not as long as I live….for here I am…and I am here" _pondered The Virus, staring out at the empty roads that once provided the luscious image of the escaping bus that it was once on.

* * *

**Oh man! I'm so relieved that this chapter is finished! Heh, it was fun, but very tiring to write. Here is chapter 18 for your enjoyment!**

**I can understand if some people get confused at what The First and The Virus are talking about, so feel free to send me a message or a review asking me any questions.**

**Be sure to look out for a new poll I will be making shortly! **

**Any reviews will be appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	19. Leadership Falls! Death Glasses Rises!

******I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday - 9:28AM - Outside The Abandoned Hotel**

Thunder. Lightening. Thunder and lightening. The two mighty elements catastrophically clashed across the infested skies full of a thick, rotting fog of narcissistic decomposing flesh that released foul stenches to wither through the plagued oxygen while becoming drowned in misty black clouds and ghastly rain drops which dispersed a static toxins that leeched onto the fragile skin once impacted. The brutal collisions of the roaring winds slammed into the fazed members of class 3-A and impaled them as they struggled to remain balanced while their silky hair was blasted into a frizzled frenzy that caused it to entangle itself in front of their eyesight, making the little vision available blurry and barely visible, forcing them to stagger around while their eye sockets churned dry thanks to the whistling winds and creating a stinging sensation that they couldn't help but cringe at. Most of the loathing girls lifted their arms, gently leaning them against their forehead where they intended to keep the winds away, with very little success.

Disturbingly, the creatures before them had faltered for mere moments as they looked back, adeptly listening to the swift hums of the fading school buses engine that echoed around the valley, producing soothing vibrations that calmed the battlefield, stopping all fatal attacks and motions to proceed for both the undead and the survivors as they all listened…as the survivors all deeply inhaled for oxygen they desperately needed…as the undead stubbornly groaned with sorrow to the disappearance of half the survivors population…as they all reacted to the disgraceful sight in which they could all agree…was heart breaking. Eventually the rhythmic roars of the soaring bus dried up, leaving the pondering survivors and undead corpses to linger, unstably slouching down with exhaustion…or for the undead, numbness… each of them speechless, unsure on how to feel, unsure on what to do and leaving the awkward silence to consume them…hearing nothing but the whistling winds, the drenching rain, the fazing gasps of both the students of class 3-A and the undead with similar tone.

A slight twitch was the only true reaction the undead had shown, but the origins of it were unknown. Whether it was just a spasm from the brain waves, or if they actually cared, the inexpressible facial features of the implicit creatures provided evidence of the truth…that they weren't bothered…why? Because only something with life could care about something so saddening…but these…'things'…they had no intention on caring, not when their opposite, the few remaining living still left, were only a few steps away. To the sobbing horror of the stranded students, involving Chisame, Fuuka, Fumika, Konoka, Haruna, Asuna, Chizuru and the remaining protectors, the sticky, lifeless glare of the undead slowly rotated back to them where each student had at least one pair of pale eyes set on them with prejudice as the infected's jaws sloppily opened, exhaling sickly while blood gnashed saliva dribbled down their wobbly lower lip before their jaws snapped shut, cracking their yellow rotting teeth together before eerily being opened again and releasing the foul stench of flesh into the atmosphere. Some snarled, some hissed, some repeated he same moans and groans…but their pace was still slow and unbalanced where the hordes of undead began to stagger, limp, tremble forward at a menacing speed of anxiety, one by one, outrageously growing and replacing their falling kind from earlier, as if they had never fallen in the first place, simply because they all sounded the same, looked the same, they even had the same motives…to eat…to kill.

The pouring rain pounded into the uneven surface of the solid concrete that Mana hopelessly knelt down on, slouching into a murky puddle and dampening her clothing that absorbed the secular acid rain that streamed through the roads, the pavements, everywhere. Her eyes, her face, everything turned pale as she watched the school bus screech down the infested roads with immense speeds before slowly fading away…it had happened…Mana…had been broken. The cold wetness of the rain droplets gracefully slithered down her face, down her once perky cheeks, swiftly hinging of the edge of her smooth skin until fatally dropping off and acting as the tears she couldn't even cry because of how weak and lost she was. Deep within her colourless eyes were her constricted pupils that once had purity and essence in it, only for it to shatter, to melt away, leaving the awry feeling of emptiness to engulf the very determination that was sealed within her soul, which was now broken.

All she could do was stare lifelessly, without focus or concentration, down the misty road of broken boulevard of dreams that once raised her hope…kept her going…but now…she had lost total control of herself, feeling numb, crippled enough that she didn't breathe, or blink, but instead just…stared… stared out to the deceiving scenery that once prohibited the image of the bus, and her family, that was cruelly taken away from her by her own ignorant actions because of the deep desperation that bowled into her before prying itself out. During the whole time, a whistling screech tore across Mana's ears as everything went silent with shock apart from the echoed beats from her own bleeding heart that slowly grew louder each second, strangely enough dramatically slowing down at the same time…as if…she had truly given up this time, not just with the chance of success…but everything. Safety, freedom, an opportunity to once again live peacefully, rather than living in fear…it was all lost.

Mana effortlessly began swaying her dizzy head slowly to the side, feeling as light as a feather while the degrading colours of a lifeless pale stained her pupil that hazardly constricted, dramatically shrinking. The unethical sight of the undead approaching didn't faze her, nor did the image of her family becoming scoped in her sight, where she witnessed the grieving experiences they were forced to interact with. Apart from the deafening screeches that burdened past her ear, everything was quiet. The moans and groans of the undead were blanked out…the screams and cries of the survivors calling out depressingly became shrouded with nothingness…all she could do was watch…all she could do was…remain lifeless.

"The bus is gone!" cried the voice of Fumika, who turned from left to right, aligning her eyes with the other students who also wanted an answer, but received more frights instead as they stumbled around, looking back at Fumika and so many others.

"Where is it going!" interrupted Fuuka's voice as the pink haired girl took a tight grasp on her sisters hand to keep them connected, criss crossing their fingers across one another, feeling the heavenly warmth that acted as a barrier towards the acid rain and keeping the lovable twins close where they stumbled in the middle of the panicky group, staying behind Kaede and Ku Fei who tiredly raised their guard and seeked to protect everyone from the never ending hordes.

"W-What!" Asuna's stuttering words decayed within seconds as she twisted her hips from side to side, spinning herself and looking in all directions, and to her nightmarish disappointment, only to see the same horrific scenes of most of her fellow classmates huddling together, hesitantly hunching down and crossing their arms over their chest, taking a gentle grasp on their delicate arms and digging their fingers into the soft skin as they seeked to protect themselves from the degrading situation before them. She heavily gasped before feeling a rough bump collide into her back, causing Asuna to straighten up with hype and lightly squeal as she gently blundered forward, immediately after immensely turning to witness Takamichi in his white suit that was covered in a patterned blood splatter slowly back away while turning his aching head to look over his rusty shoulders, where both leered at one another "Ah! Asuna!" he yelled, loudly gulping and blinking twice with reaction until turning back towards the approaching undead.

"T-T-Takamichi! What the heck is going on!" questioned Asuna, who was forced to back away with him as she instantly noticed the rapid number of undead patronisingly limping closer with dire intentions towards them, reaching out, closing and opening their palms as if grabbing the thinning air and showing of their disgustingly reddish yellow coloured fingernails while snapping their blood garnished jaws.

For a brief moment, Takamichi grinded himself to a halt as he pushed his polished shoes hard against the cracking concrete, loudly grunting with seriousness and frustration while doing so. His head froze while he strainfully stretched his eyes slowly from left to right, marking the targets, observing the closest creatures before him and watching them sickly crawl closer, some disgustingly putting weight down on their already broken bones, others just staggered forward with sloppiness. Then, his neck hastily rotated and he looked back, pin pointing the position they were in and locating the other protectors who narrowed the space between them and the undead…but it was only a matter of time.

Deceivingly, a distraughting sight hallowed it's way into his sight and caused Takamichi to exhale with grief and suspense. It was as if the sudden shock pried itself within his boundaries and forced him to gasp where the uncomfortable sensation of stiffness in his numbing fingers tingled with warmness, shortly followed by the dryness in his throat which made him grunt more where he seeked to clear it. He turned to hip towards the sorrowful scene. Mana…Mana was the commotion that stumped him. He studied the talented youth, draining all his focus and concentration on her and nothing else where he absorbed detailed intelligence…the way she looked…acted…her actions, both physically and mentally…Mana had cracked…she had…given up.

Wet…drenched…it was hard to describe someone so…so miserable and lost, that's how he saw Mana from afar as her pale eyes lifelessly soared across the empty space, looking through the other students as if they weren't there at all and showing no emotions towards the depth scenery before her. All she could do was slouch in the muddy puddle

He surprisingly pulled a short smile _"So, it happened" _Takamichi pierced his fists shut, clenching them tight where he proceeded to slowly sink them down into his open pockets as he felt the cold but spacious emptiness that was filled with a soothing breeze _"I should have expected this…I had hoped it wouldn't have been now though…she has a fierce leadership, but not even someone as determined as her could avoid the undetectable experience of loss after watching such a traumatizing event…after being so sure of success and exhausted…Although risky towards both me and the students, I must act quick if we have any chance of getting to that bus. Very few students remain which is my advantage, but I must be careful not to faze them…the slightest mistake could be the end for us all"_ planned Takamichi.

"Asuna…" his sight was still directed towards Mana "I need you to create some distance between us…" simply implied Takamichi.

"W-What! But why!" questioned Asuna.

"They are too close, my Iaiken ability is useless at this point. If I want to continue protecting you all, I can no longer conceal my magic behind my pockets" explained Takamichi.

Without hesitation, Asuna stubbornly took a hard step forward, pulling her fist up high and waving it about childishly as she spoke "I wont leave you alone like that!" short, quiet appeals of 'ah' and 'uh' escaped her chitterling jaw until the long haired girl suddenly perked up with exhilaration as she remembered the vital item she had. Looking down, her sharp eyes glared down at her pockets, where with excitement she instantly looked back up, softly patting her clothing with her outstretched palm as she attempted to slip her hand into it "Wait! My pactio card! I can use it to-" The unexpected interruption of Takamichi left Asuna breathless as she halted her inhales and exhales with concern.

The warm, fuzzy, soft fingertips of Takamichi gently curled themselves around Asuna's wrist as he reached out to her, stopping her from proceeding any further because of the light force preventing her from reaching into her pocket, no matter how much she wanted to. She leered into his eyes, examining the serious frown plastered onto his worn-down face which strangely enough make her afraid and weak "Asuna, you must understand" he sighed with depletion and shortly paused before continuing "There are too many and it isn't safe. My Kankaho technique is far too powerful when combining ki and magic together and your safety would be compromised. I need you to help escort the students to the next bus…help Mana, she needs assistance…this unexpected turn of events has taken a tremendous toll on her…and me" his eyes sloped down with disappointment. He may not be showing it, but Takamichi had taken a huge impact on watching his students and Negi get hijacked by some…'soldier' but showing his emotions wasn't going to help, not at this moment, he needed to stay strong for Asuna, and Mana, and everyone else to show that hope was still alive "Now go, I'll be fine" nodded Takamichi with a comforting smile.

He was telling the truth…Asuna could see it…she could feel his admirable atmosphere surround her with honesty which completely warmed her body up. She felt the assembled grip of his hand release itself from her wrist with trust as she watched Takamichi retreat it back into his trouser pockets, creating a small lump in the side of his clothing as his bare knuckles left a fading imprint. A large batch of airy condensation blasted out of Asuna's shivering lips as she sighed, shortly followed by contagious sniffles that indicated that she was catching a cold of some sort, similar to Mana's. The repeating rain continuously battered into both of them, drenching their clothing and causing them to turn a different shade of darkened colours as the fabric absorbed the wetness, making their threads seem to gleam in the basking warmth one another shared.

Her head complexly nodded up and down as she slowly back away, lightly treading her steps along the lumpy surface of the concrete where the toxic rain slithered down her slightly blushing red cheeks, joined with a mixture of dull pale that composed an eerie burn around her skin…but Asuna couldn't verdict to whether that was her uncontrollably blushing, or the stinging rain "I'll be back shortly!" she informed, sounding promising "And I wont take no for an answer next time!" cheekily commented Asuna, managing to pull a thinning, short lasting smile before regrettably turning, where she faced the distancing Mana who's actions were rather…worrying. She began approaching her, shouting "Lets get to the bus!" to the other faxed students who seeked guidance, and willingly received it with relief as they began to follow.

"Heh" chuckled Takamichi to himself, immediately after turning his smile back into a rueful frown as he fully turned towards the hordes of undead, stomping his feet hard and grasping the plain fabric that was tucked away into his pockets as he began his justifying counter against them. It was sure to tire him…he was already at breaking point…one chance, one decision, one outcome…it was all on him to at least make the situation easier by clearing one side of the undead hordes never ending waves for as long as possible, thus allowing more protectors on one side, giving more support, and increasing their chances of success, where hopefully Mana would gain her self esteem back…and get them out of the horrid situation at hand.

The submissive black widow, Mana, validly shifted her head back to the forward position, swiftly flowing with the graceful winds that practically turned the dull girl by itself without any trouble as her eyesight beamed down towards the marred ground. She saw a crystal reflection…herself…in the murky puddle of acid rain…she was a mess. Partially dangling across her eyes and covering a large portion of her forehead was thin, soft strips of her black hair that elegantly glistened brightly. Splatters of rain drops persistently leeched onto her luscious cheeks, leaving awry marks of black particles and pure H20 that slithered down her mourning face of inexpressible devastation, looking as it a bucket of water had been thrown onto her. A loathing sight…the raindrops eventually dripped off her soaking skin with sorrow and landed in the reflective puddle she slouched down in, creating vibrations that beautifully spread outwards with nature as the water wobbled for mere moment until approximately returning to it's usual still state, awaiting another drop that would produce the same circular pattern that spread outwards again and blurring the fuzzy image of the lost girl before it,

Existing heart beats blandly pumped the cold, unique blood cells around Mana's damp, shivering body as they became weaker with inept hopelessness that flourished them like an attacking virus…breaking away at them…causing them to struggle to carry and making the crippled student grow colder and colder, number and number…losing everything. on The longer she stared, the less recognisable the reflective image before her came…the less knowledgeable it became…disintegrating into nothing but a prohibited memory that once belonged to someone…who was she? Mana…Mana was a nobody…that's how she saw herself now…that's all she could see, for once being breaking, it was impossible to turn away from what she believes to be true.

Twinkling in the corner of the reflective puddle was an object, a glimpse of something that had been apart of Mana before the tragic event unfolded. Something that resembled her actions…that had come in handy in many, many situations…her weapon, the Howa Type 89...firmly grasped in her quivering hand as the back of her palm calmly lay against the cracking ground beside the puddle, numb, uncontrollable. Her palm could barely be lifted…but it wasn't the weapon itself…it wasn't the ferocious rain slamming into it…it was the heavy burden that the weapon has caused, which it had created…what it had done…what happened was because of her and this weapon…she wasn't strong enough…it was her fault.

Slowly drifting her lowered head that was shadowed with shame and indecency, she looked at the actual weapon itself, rather than the mirrored image from the puddle…it was so much more realistic…so much more hurtful. Like a slide, the weapon slithered out of Mana's palms as she lifted her compelled hand…as she hesitantly opened her cringing fingers and allowing the heavy object to gently hit the floor and creating a quiet clacking sound on impact. But she continued to stare…to watch her pale hands become drenched with the wet rain as they shivered ..as the fingers twitched while hovering above the thinning air, where her jaw slightly dropped down with domain thoughts and releasing a ghastly exhale of uncertainty…unsure on who she was any longer.

Varied emotions crossed her mind…anger, distress, fear…but she just couldn't pick, mainly because of the simplicity that struck Mana hard when the realisation that there was nothing she could do…there was nothing to have made it any better…that if she was a little more patient and had more confidence in the others, it would be Lilason driving the currently hijacked bus right now, with herself and the others along side the brave soldier in the second bus. She couldn't breathe properly…why couldn't she breathe properly! Why was her blinking barely stable! Why wasn't she who she use to be and should still be! Similar situations have happened before, and each time she still had the courage to continue and succeed! So why now! What is happening that prevented her from guiding the others to the next bus and rescuing the others! Nothing made sense to her anymore…she was unable to think straight…her balance would most likely be unstable if it hadn't been for the humiliating position of defeat she was in now…

Then, an unexpected touch, one that slightly startled the black haired girl and causing everything above her waist to swing around as Mana panicked, quickly turning to the her right, fazed that one of the undead creatures had attained on hold of her. The powerful griping of pressure seized itself around the top of Mana's arm as the black gloved palm delicately curled it's fingers around her soft skin and squeezing hard, instantly catching attention of Mana as she glared at the perishing hand that trembled with both coldness and aggravation.

Moving up the arm as if it were trail mix, Mana scoped and closely examined the outstretched shuddering arm that was dripping of the awkwardly familiar sight of mutilated blood from where the back wash of close combat with the infected stained the fragile skin of the figure. The darkened blood fused with pouring rain drops and caused the slithered liquid to drip of her arm, making it look like the figure had been injured in some way, when in reality, she hadn't. After noticing the black arm and wrist bands that resembled the symbolic sign of a Self Defence Force rank, lieutenant if she remembered correctly, shortly followed by the smooth textured clothing of green and black camouflaged spots that burned into Mana's sight, dramatically decreasing the number of candidates that it could be, and before she knew it, Mana didn't even have to look any further to realise who it truly was.

She continue though, simply because of the fact that there was nothing else she could do. The drooped head of Mana hesitantly picked itself up and along the arm of the figure until reaching a heavily armoured torso that was fixed with the same clothing. And along that clothing was the long, brown strips of luscious, silky hair that sloped over the shoulder of the figure and unravelled itself down the relaxed shoulders, looking very dark and dampened from the wetness. Further up she looked, until eventually reaching the parched face of Lilason who glared down at Mana with concern and disbelief while standing besides the crouched mastermind, diagonally turning her hip towards the undead with a majestic posture.

It was easy to tell. The expressions in her face. A large portion of disgust was planted on one side of Lilason's face, where as the other half exposed her thoughts, her opinion of the situation "I can't blame you though" was what it told Mana, giving her the slightest respiration of relief that at least someone thought that it wasn't her fault.

Lilason's neck positioned rightfully changed as she strained herself, looking over to the approaching undead where the image of her reaching down with her free hand and grasping the rarely pistol that was neatly tucked into the perfectly threaded pouch that was strapped to her trousers. Her shaky fingers curled themselves around the end of the rough textured weapon and pulled hard, where with instinct, Lilason instantly hovered the weapon in mid air with bright reflexes and open fired, producing shattering bangs that left Mana fazed as the echoing sounds forced her to blink after each shot. The fast travelling bullets swerved with accuracy into the closest undead that was just mere feet away and caused it fall to the floor hard, only to be trod on without a care by another of it's kind, replacing it. The process repeated itself continuously until the daunting sound of clicking ruptured itself from the empty clip of the weapon, forcing Lilason to yell out with irritation as she brought the weapon closer, deeply examining it, then shortly after throwing the heavy weapon at the mauling undead where it bounced of the pumped chest of the closest infected and clanked to the floor with a marred impact, slightly staggering the creature back for a few seconds before it continued to proceed.

Lilason turned back to Mana aggressively, growing impatient and worried as the flow of knowledge that the undead were only seconds away from making contact, a principle she wasn't looking forward to.

The ecstatic soldier eerily sloped down on one side as her primary weapon dragged her down, where the tip of guns barrel scraped against the solid surface of the concrete that was painted with blood, both fresh and mutilated. A long, ghastly inhale trifled down her stuffy throat and partly created a burning sensation as the intoxicated air dispersed itself within her boundaries as Lilason breathed in, attempting to blurt out a sentence until tragically stopped halfway through as the stinging forced a croaky grunt that escaped her lips.

Spread around the outer layer of her lips were the thin singes of burns that was created by the exhaled carbon dioxide that had merged with the poisoned oxygen that was violently splurged out. Although barely visible, the crispy details was awry and hurt whenever interacted with, but that didn't stop Lilason from talking as she shook her head, regaining control of any lost sensed "Ma-!" her voice struggled at first, pampering itself and ridden any poisonous bacteria within the throat while the name call weakly escalated into a worthy shout "Mana!" she shrieked again "What are you doing!" questioned Lilason.

The wicked girl remained stunned as her lifeless eyes leered at Lilason…watching her mouth move but hearing no words…listening to the harsh hums that only resembled mumbled echoes flow towards her…it was obvious that Lilason's words were directed at her, but Mana made no attempt to request the sentence to be rephrased, or showed any signs on confusion…she just…sat there, eyes glistening, jaw briefly open…ignoring Lilason's words completely, even though wasn't her fault. She didn't know how, or why, but everything was awry with cosmic sounds that spun around her like a hurricane, barely recognisable…not at all familiar. Alone as the word…she was…alone, in this world.

Suddenly, just as Lilason was about to suspect the worst, a quiet voice whimpered out of Mana's chitterling mouth that repeatedly dropped down, instantly after returning it's original position that was only slightly open as she faltered to speak properly, stuttering, reconsidering her words, struggling to speak "It's…" there was a long pause as Mana's eyes stumbled into Lilason's where both gave a saddening stare of confrontation. Surprisingly, Mana unexpectedly turned away, tilting her head down as if it had been pushed towards the direction where her viewpoint watched the reflection of herself in the puddle again "It's my fault…" she whispered with sorrow "It's because of me" insisted Mana with anger, clinching her eyes shut tightly and clenching her shaky fists.

Lilason achingly bent her knee's down, crouching beside the downed girl and making their shrinking height almost similar as she contained the potential grip around Mana's arm "Ah shit!" violently yelled Lilason "Come on Mana, don't do this to me now! We can stop Tankins, but only if you cooperate with me and start moving!" she informed.

Mana didn't comply…the thoughts of reassurance and success had been washed away…the convincing words of Lilason meant nothing. No reply, no sign of caring, Lilason simply witnessed the deceiving girl blandly looked at her own reflection as if she had just been shot…it wasn't a pretty sight…they were taught and trained about situations such as these, how traumatisation can affect someone to the point that they don't even know who they are anymore…that they lose all will power…this was something Lilason had seen many times to other soldiers, some that had solved many times and other…she didn't particularly know, but she wasn't in a rush to find out. Even after watching others experience it and being taught on how to deal with it, it was still a fear and weakness she couldn't avoid.

"Hey!" the sudden rhythmic call startled Lilason as she leaped off the ground, feeling her legs wobble like jelly where her head resiliently turned from side to side, intensely increasing her breathing as it took longer than it should have to spot the source of the sweetening call. Infected…infected…infected…the blood covered images repeated themselves because that was all she saw approaching them, mildly taking their time but with prejudice purposes. Finally, she saw her. The orange, curly haired girl who's name was still unknown to Lilason stumbled forward, visibly huffing and puffing with worry and concern while she roamed closer. It was Asuna, fulfilling the requests giving to her by Takamichi just moments earlier. Not once did she look back, but she was tempted to…each second the temptation grew, but the fatal sight of Mana that became clearer with each step engulfed Asuna and churned her stomach that such a rare sight was being witnessed by her own cringing eyes.

Screeching to a halt just inches away from them both, Asuna instantly hunched down and slapped both palms hard against her bending knee's, taking in deep breaths just as quick as she exhaled them while looking down at the flooding floors, feeling icky and wet from the dampness of the rain that soaked into her absorbing clothing. Her head tiredly heaved upwards, where she quickly noticed the designated glares of Lilason focuses on nothing but her. It only took seconds before she spotted the black haired widow just inches away, hiding behind Lilason with her knee's deep in a murky puddle that reflected a blurry image of the devastated girl "Mana!" sighed Asuna with a slight hint of relief, most likely from the knowledge that Mana was unharmed…at least, physically.

Rapidly curling around Lilason without hesitation, Asuna joined Mana and roughly dropped down into the puddle, creating a small splash that splattered onto both of their faces as they knelt down into the damp surface. Their was barely any chance to react as Asuna grasped both of Mana's shoulders with her outstretched palms, vindictively shaking her around as Asuna's dull words of "Mana! We need to get the others onto the bus!" only came out as quiet, echoed hums to Mana.

Lilason took a step to the side, diagonally turning towards Asuna "It's no use kid" she implied, tutting while doing so "She needs to join the others in the bus for now, with your aid of course".

Asuna's glistening eyes looked up as the innocent sounds of confusion blurted out of her mouth, including sharp "Ah" and "Eh?" before a proper sentence was pronounced "What do you mean!" questioned Asuna with a stumbling voice.

"She's gone into a traumatic state" Lilason began shaking her head with concern "Confusion, stuttering, unresponsive" her eyes switched from Asuna to Mana "The signs are all there. She needs calming down, reassuring, so it's vital that she gets onto that bus as quick as possible to recover otherwise the mental damage could be permanent! Help her, join the others and get on that bus, talk some sense into her, me and the others will cover you" explained Lilason, cracking a convincing smile of confidence.

"H-How do you know all this?" stuttered Asuna.

There was a haunting pause that left Asuna in an awkward position as she faintly sighed with fascinating, accidentally whistling out hums of sweetness as she watched Lilason look out to the open scenery, examining the ecstatic fog and darkened skies. Then, she turned, blinking once and simply nodding "Because I've experienced it before" whispered Lilason.

Suddenly, without warning, a fierce gust of wind immerged from the dieing atmosphere and ferociously rammed into the maintaining girls from behind, wildly frizzing Asuna and Mana's clothing and hair as they flapped and waved madly to one side, slightly hovering along the gliding air and tilting the two girls to one side while Asuna struggled to avoid tipping over when holding down both her weight and Mana's. Ruefully, the threatening winds slammed into the back of Lilason who was forced to stumble forward, past Mana, barely sustaining herself from being lifted off the ground as her muffled voice concurringly shouted "What's happening!" only for the winds to dim down her harmonic voice. Eventually she screeched to a halt by pouncing her feet into the cracks in the concrete and trapping her mobility, immediately after turning where she joined Asuna in the deep, long glares at the mastermind who created the unexpected gushes of mushy winds. Not an infected, not an undead…not The First, nor The Virus or any of the students…but rather a sensei. A legend, formidably known as 'Death Glasses'…to those amongst the other world…a teacher to his loving students…it was Takamichi, glowing with raw power.

The ground around him began to shake and cracks slowly started to appear in within the bounded concrete, brutally caving in on itself as the cracks connected like a chain, firstly producing themselves beneath his synched feet that imploded with mysterious power and eventually spreading across the surface of the blood covered ground as if an earthquake was approaching. Even his moulded glasses that pleasantly positioned themselves around his eyes quivered with animosity as Takamichi's face boiled red with effort and struggle, producing a large quantity of his abilities that took all his might to keep contained while building up. His eyes strained open, and his jaw cringed, revealing the white sparkled teeth of the legendary mage and producing a revolting frown of skirmishing labour to keep everything within his control and reach.

Takamichi's muscles tensed themselves tightly and slightly twitched, dauntingly bearing the wicked spasms of pain that corrupted his mobility and once again making the situation a bigger struggled…one wrong move…one accidental flicker of the arm, and devastation would occur as magical essence uncontrollably travelled great distances in all directions, putting both himself and his students in danger.

The large momentum of vicious winds cycled around Takamichi, circling around him and blasting themselves outwards where it impacted itself against the undead and survivors, madly staggering them all back. White outlines of the winds gargled themselves upon the surface of the cracking concrete, sparking flames of fury that left a symbolic scorch on the ground while producing the circling winds that orbited Takamichi before blasting outwards, shredding the poisonous oxygen and colliding with any physical object.

Cosmetic static surrounded Takamichi's body as the raw power leaked from his being, travelling around him like a worm and gently bouncing of his skin, allowing it to go further distances and reach the next point of his body, bouncing of that, repeating itself and eventually morphing itself into the worm-like creature that wriggled around his body, travelling down one leg, climbing up the other where I proceeded around the torso again, gracefully flowing with the circling winds. Thanks to the electrical current soothingly running across his bare skin and leaving small but noticeable stings, equivalent to a jelly fish, and crafting black singes onto his pale skin, Takamichi's hair straightened up with dire exposure, also making his prickly beard buzz formidably.

An implicit white aura of concentration buzzed around the edges of Takamichi, hovering over the running veins that swiftly flowed with valid magical essence, swarming cell and particles of genetic details that evolved into the actual core of his power. It was a warm, tentative sensation of envious development that eradicated the very infectious disease that spread itself within the air they breathed, returning the little purity that had been forcefully taken away bit by bit…but alone, one man, cleansing the air was never his purpose, nor could he achieve such an ambiguous task…but ridden the undead, stalling them, creating distances between such a large horde was all he could do for now. Takamichi had hoped for another solution…that such a violent action wouldn't be required…but now, whether he likes it or not, it is necessary in the desperate predicament they were in.

No matter the location or how far, the warm glows of power that barrowed itself in Takamichi's sinking pockets could be seen from everywhere, by every survivor, every undead, witnessing the unstable magical spirit continuously grow in the tightly clenched palms of Takamichi. One pocket brightly released a barraged of glistening blue aura that lit up the darkened surroundings as one palm caressed the ki that increased tremendously within his grasp, where as the other hand did the same, only with a silver aura of magic, both burning up with blistering heat that evaporated the air around him.

It was an astonishing sight to see…the pouring rain no longer became a problematic process for him as from everyone else's viewpoint, the intoxicated droplets slithered along the outskirts of the scything winds, acting as a potential barrier that protected him and shedding away the little indecency of poison that possessed the pure water which obliged to drizzle along the whistling winds until hitting the cracking ground, where it would either evaporate or become sucked into the permanent cracks like a black hole. Not all was avoidable as the odd one or two slipped in, tripling onto the ethical mages flourished red and grey cheeks and leaving a blistering scar of pain that was most likely produced when fused with the electric current surrounding him, creating a narcissistic composure of very marred power to attack the soft, sensitive, exposed skin of Takamichi that had been gnarled down to the point that it was as fragile as glass.

Close by, Lilason could feel the cold shiver of vibrating shockwaves humble through the concrete ground that were being produced by the infamous Takamichi, gushing out cold gasps of disbelief from her dry mouth that harassed Lilason. The immense quakes intercepted Lilason, travelling up her delicate being and sending spiked tingles around her senses which deeply consumed her as her blood ran cold, watching the unknown origins before her immerge…_"W-What the hell! I have never seen something like this! Not even Command's records has a glimpse of Intel about such…such an excessive force belonging to a teacher…" _wondered Lilason, trembling around as she struggled to keep balance. From the start, she had known something wasn't right…some school students, surviving an outbreak like this? It was impossible… "What is he doing…" whispered Lilason, taking a heavy step forward "What is he doing!" she said again, with a louder tone while glaring at the glowing sensei.

Undead trembled, corpses fell, the audience of class 3-A stuck together and watched Takamichi's devastating actions shock them all as he built up his magical essence, revealing his secret…but for all the right reasons, to protect his students. Although traumatizing, the undead felt no fear, nor did they feel threatened. Once regaining their limited balance, the torn corpses of the deceased limped forward, closer and closer to the mage, sometimes being blown back again, other times being halted as they fell to the floor…either way, one way or another, eventually, they would be within his boundaries, within their reach…and that's why faltering wasn't an option he could afford, no matter the risks.

More and more the deceiving shakes amongst the Earth dramatically grew violent, rapidly catching the attention of the mourned Mana that too felt the blood rushing affects go to her head. The reflective puddle she stared at became no more as the constant shaking repeatedly blurred the image, and slowly, the sorrow whimpers of Asuna echoed in the deafening ears of the black widow, slightly startling her as she flinched. Her head followed the drifting whimpers, bringing her viewpoint to the diagonally turned torso of Asuna where she proceeded up, catching a glimpse of the worried facial expressions of Asuna while she clamped both her hands together, nervously fidgeting.

A long, haunting glare burned into Asuna while her worries radiated themselves onto Mana. The shallow pupils that showed signs of nothingness within Mana unravelled in the constricted eyes, slowly enlarging the round black dot by dilating as Mana began to realise…as she began to return. Following Asuna's line of sight while doing so, the ecstatic image of the thunderous Takamichi scorched into her blazing, recovering sight, making Mana's jaw drop open with suspense where the ultimatum of her shrouded mind dusked itself clean, allowing her to see clearly now…to remember who she was, what she had been doing all this time and how much consequences had been made in her absence, which created a heavy burden of distributing guilt towards her. Mana could hear…she could see…but it wasn't an appetising sound…it wasn't a pleasant sight as she watched Takamichi light up like a Christmas tree with power, creating the natural disturbance "Wha-" the last letter couldn't be expressed because of the deep exhale she took, causing Mana to hunch down with exhaustion…recovering from being traumatized really took a lot out of her _"_N-No!" a ghastly gasp of condensation blasted out of her mouth as Mana leaned to the side, splashing both her textured palms against the puddle "…Takamichi!" the sudden shout startled Asuna and Lilason as they both turned to Mana with confusion "It's too much! She implied "Your body can't handle that much punishment in the state you're in! Th-The students!" her head swiftly shifted to the right, watching the frightened students, then, she instantly turned back to the glowing sensei before her "You're completely exposed to them!"alerted Mana _"Y-You know the consequences…the risks…why are you still doing this?" _she pondered.

Ignoring her comments, not because he couldn't hear her, but because he was incapable to stop without seriously injuring himself, the glowing mastermind continued …however, Takamichi had no intentions to stop whatsoever, otherwise escaping would become almost impossible, even if Mana had now partially recovered, simply because their was too many, all overcoming them at once as they loosed forward in swarming numbers, almost in reach. He couldn't risk stopping for not just his sake, but everyone else's too.

Cunningly, with paled mobility, Takamichi slowly began to raise his straining arms, compellingly pulling the glowing aura's that leeched to his clenched fists out of the tugging pockets that resisted breaking apart with the fusing power, notoriously pulling the sinking pockets along with it until they eventually tore apart, separating the burning fabric as it lightly emptied themselves back into the enclosed pouch attached to his creased trousers. Takamichi continued to lift his glistening fists, easily comparing them to unsubstantial weights as he faltered to keep pulling them higher, until they both level themselves with his pumped chest where he carefully kept both powers of magic and ki separated, keeping distance between them while both arms eerily heaved to the opposite sides they were positioned. Left was left, right was right, and he could only do so much to keep them apart.

The soul blue and snow white colours of the mystical aura's flamed from his hands, igniting flares of consuming brightness that were almost as bright as the hidden sun that crowed behind the greyish blurs of clouds which became distinguished as the blazing light being produced by the Godly hands of Takamichi lit up the darkened atmosphere and shadowed skies. From afar, many of the students were forced to shut their eyes or turn away as they hesitantly lifted their arms with confusion, gently leaning them against their buzzing eye sockets for protection from the barely blinding light.

"_This is it" _thought the on going Takamichi. The fuzzy warmness of the essence he held in his hands was soon released into the negative atmosphere when Takamichi very slowly started to open his palms with caution, painfully feeling the overall numbness and stiffness the raw power had unloaded while building up, flowing through his veins into one part of the body. Further and further the limited space between his quivering fingers and scarring palms widened until the exhausting twitches of movements were no longer capable, which left the awry image of both palms facing him, almost fully outstretched while Takamichi's fingers sorely bent and cringed with aching fractions. Upon opening, withering smoke of the aura's transparent colour dispersed into the pure air surrounding him, creating a crystal clear image of beauty that was drowned in the chaos of the world within mere seconds.

With an exerting effort, Takamichi charily tilted his exhausted head downwards, faltering at times as if his static hair was being tugged at, where he thoroughly examined both palms with his widened eyes and watched the immense power of ki and magic combust around his skin. From left to right his straggling head swayed, witnessing the inferior colours grow brighter with each passing second. Then, he shifted his head back up, watching the savage undead obediently refuse to back down, and it was the very obedience that got them to where they were now as they were just seconds away from coming in contact with Takamichi, and the two other protectors on his side, Setsuna and Zazie. If he accomplished this now, a defiant escape would be possible once one side of the monstrous hordes were clear, therefore giving Setsuna and Zazie the chance to support Kaede and Ku Fei who up until now had both been doing a tremendous job on their own, but even they tire, especially in the state they had began in, it was only a matter of time, and that time was now. They needed the help.

Focusing on nothing but the approaching waves, he slowly began pulling his quaking arms back, elegantly bending his elbows and making them heaved behind his back while twisting his palms so that they faced the cracking floor. Then, a loud simulation of yells roared out of his mouth as Takamichi heaved forward, harshly stomping one foot forward as he braced for the devastation about to occur. He thrusted both arms forward, outstretching them in an awry position as both his palms hovered over the chest of the nearest undead that was preparing to pounce forward with prejudice, but instead, the raw power Takamichi possessed and built up struck.

A monstrous amount of ki and magic unleashed itself from Takamichi's unstable grasp, roaring out with potential danger and echoing a strange warping sound as the two powers violently clashed, intertwining, colliding, merging into one radiated power as both elements twirled around the essence of each magic and ki particle, fusing together was of the harnessed heat. A beam of scolding light engulfed the closest undead, completely overwhelming it with scorching heat that disintegrated the fragile corpse into nothing but white ash that fell like snow onto the tormented ground. The Earth shook, the students struggled to stand, it was a submissive scene that turned the roads and streets into an abyss of power, flames and annihilation.

The outrageous blast swarmed over the roads and streets like a hive of bee's, covering the ground with a glowing blanket of white and blue ki and magic merged together into one barely controllably blast of raw power that swept across the hordes with ease. They were all blinded as the large blast consumed them, travelling a great distance that narrowed itself down the long abyss where it obliterated anything in sight, both undead or obstacles that were unfortunate enough to join the excessive shredding of bare flesh and infected oxygen, turning everything into ash, and nothing but ash that left a smokey atmosphere of the same rotting stench, followed by the burnt singing of the flesh to wither in the open air and pouring rain that washed away the once infectious substance.

The entire valley lit up as the little undead left had no chance to escape, nor were they ordered to. One by one their existence turned unknown when Takamichi's shattering blast excluded any evidence of their being, simply reducing them to dust. Glazing windows from the surrounding buildings melted, the concrete turned soft like quicksand, the clouds reluctantly pried open, revealing the little rays of the sunlight available before closing again, and it was all because of Takamichi and his unbelievable power within, revealed to everyone who watched.

He could feel the wrath. Takamichi's hands buzzed with a burning sensation that stung beyond belief, but he held on, embracing the hellish pain bestowed upon him until he could go no further. It was a substantial length of time he had held the manipulating beam of ki and magic, even if it was only mere seconds, surpassing any masterful challenge back in the otherworld assigned to professional mages such as him and eliminating one side of the growing's hordes and leaving the other half stunned with exhilaration, as they watched their population fade away, embracing the light, momentarily assuming that they care before proceeding back to their usual stance of staggering forward like the monsters they were, showing no bother at all and caring about nothing but their desires for the survivors that were clearly wearing down, all shocked towards Takamichi's actions.

Finally, after draining himself, the ferocious beam of ki and magic broke apart, shattering like glass as the long beam of chaotic power dispersed into the empty atmosphere, leaving fragments of purified particles in the shape of igniting flames and glistening dust to lightly hit the floor, where they slowly sunk into the melting concrete and disappeared from sight. Takamichi stiffly stood there, feeling numb and unable to move while the glowing aura staining his hands drifted away like smoke when the graceful winds gently blew, passing right through the fragile teacher.

As the choking smoke cleared, he was met with the image of a misty fog of ashes that messily scoured the roads, the air, sloppily dropping to the floor like dust and creating a deathly scenery of misery. That wasn't all he saw…there was more to it…exactly what he expected. From afar, still hopelessly approaching with confused intentions were more undead, the lucky ones that weren't in range of Takamichi's daunting blast, but still quite a measurement away from the survivors. It was going to take more than a few minutes to reach them now…just want Takamichi hoped to achieve.

Carefully, Takamichi slowly retreated his arms back, levelling his palms with his chest again while twisting his smokey hands that quivered madly. Murky soot covered his burning palms, and the unsatisfying experience of feeling empty bickered him, like a juice carton, having all of it's fluid squeezed out in one go…the fluid being his strength, his magic, his ki, all put into one effective blast of effort and draining him of everything that gave him the strength to even walk. Takamichi's bones were fragile like glass…his muscles were delicate like jelly, one wrong turn, one wrong movement would cripple him with exhaustion. His majestic stance turned into a crafty fatal position of hunching down, lowering himself as his knee's bent while his arms sloppily fell down by his sides, swinging back and forth with numbness.

However…vital looking he may be, Takamichi still managed to pull an unsure smile, stretching his awry cringing frown into a hesitant smirk, shortly followed by some exhaled grunts of quiet laughter that showed that he was relieved as he held the same position, purely for the fact that he felt uniquely ill deep within…but he knew the risks and consequences…now it's time for him to face them. It wasn't all laughter though…detectable moans of anguished agony obliged through the volatile structure of Takamichi who looked ready to fall…and the prediction was correct.

Just when the startled students began regaining there marred senses, just when the thought of relief crossed Mana's mind when becoming so sure that Takamichi's risky action left no after affect, just when Takamichi himself dedicated his verdict to everyone else by smiling with reassurance, his preyed consequences struck hard, deep into the core of his essence, his soul, leaving the rushing adrenaline to pump pain around his flowing veins.

Takamichi's burning red face of exhaustion turned a murky shade of grey as it lit up with a sickly pale colour of a disillusioned void of emptiness that represented ho Takamichi felt at that exact moment…empty…nothingness…drained of everything, or to put it simply…enervated. His crooked smile turned into a surprising, yet expected frown while quiet whispers of moans consisting of "Ugh" and Uh" hummed out of the tired magisters dry lips as his eyes messily dulled down, at the same time blurring his already weary image. He found it hard to concentrate, to focus…the scenery would slowly drift from side to side in his eyes as if there was double the obstacles than before.

A hefty amount of condensation wheezed out of his mouth as he desperately exhaled. Then, moments later, he uncontrollably staggered forward effortlessly, keeping his cringing hands in the same positioned, aligned with his pumped chest until his quivering legs caved in under the immense pressure, causing Takamichi to abruptly jolt his knee's down into the soaking wet concrete. Only seconds later did his body join, becoming numb, scarcely collapsing and progressing his torso to hunch down, where both his burning palms slapped themselves against the splashing puddles on murky rain water flooding the roads. He deeply gasped, exhaling and inhaling wildly…their saviour had been reduced to a weakening state by his own hands…and yet not once did the thought of regret neglect him.

From afar, the relieved expressions of Mana drowned in oppression as she watched the mighty Takamichi fall to his knee's with a quaking sensation. Still on her own knee's, Mana roughly crawled forward, dragging her muddy legs through the awry puddle and clawing her fingers into the cracks recently opened up in the ground, pulling hard and not taking her sight away from the rare encounter while drastically shouting his name with panic "Takamichi!" her voice faltered, as if becoming sore. She attempted it again, taking a deeper inhale of breathe "Takami-" Mana was immediately interrupted by the persistent yells of Asuna that rapidly engrossed over hers, desperately shouting the same phrase "Takamichi!" with a louder, higher pitched voice which ached in Mana's ears and echoed across the street, also alerting the other students, and even the grisly hungered infected that all turned to the ominous voice.

Like lightning, Asuna complexly lifted and clamped both her flattening feet hard against the cracking ground with frightening determination , pushing hard and launching herself across the uneven surface, spearing the rotting air with her fierce speeds whilst following the same path she took to get to Mana, and during the whole time Mana herself could only watch and stutter at the antics Asuna possessed, completely overwhelming her and giving Mana no chance to even react properly to Takamichi's fatal demise, unlike Asuna…although, her actions wouldn't seem as needy as Asuna's were, mainly because of the fact that Mana knew the condition Takamichi was in…it wasn't life threatening, but he certainly needed the support _"He's getting to old for this…" _humorously thought Mana, simply because she didn't know what else to do at the time.

Before she knew it, Asuna had reached the worn down sensei in a tremendous time, making it obvious how panicky and worried she was to the crowd before her. Wickedly screeching to a halt, sliding along slippery surface and viciously spraying torn water droplets from the flooding puddles across the thinning air as her feet crashed into them, she rapidly repeated thumping the heels of her feet until halting just inches away from Takamichi.

Looking down, the ghastly radiation of heat evaporated from Takamichi, slowly cooling him down as the warmth partially covered Asuna's drenched face and giving her a brief comfort that made her shiver while hesitating to decide to do next. Does she wait? Does she comfort him? She had gone with her instinct once witnessing the situation he was in…but now what!

There was no time to waste, and she knew it. After a short consideration, Asuna crouched down in a way as if being pushed, lunging herself towards the side of Takamichi where she levelled her height with his, sensibly curling one arm over his back and using the other to wrap it's fingers around the white fabric on Takamichi's arm tightly. Lowering her head, Asuna could only examine the painful expressions planted of his face…his tensely closed eyes…his muffled frown of sorrow…it upset Asuna to see someone so…so strong and idolised as him to look this way, to see her former crush look this way.

"Takahata sensei!" whimpered Asuna, taking a more secure grasp on him as she pulled herself closer to him, sharing her warmth.

Takamichi's expressions stayed the same for a short while as his deep inhales and exhales anxiously alarmed the orange haired girl beside him. During the whole time, her heavenly grip of warmth comforted him, slowly but effectively distributing her rare ability of cancelling magic and calming the uneasy left over magic and ki particles flowing through his veins that were still active and needed controlling for his sake, giving him feeling again, making him seem less numb and empty.

One eye flickered open, to Asuna's relief, and slowly, Takamichi rotated his head around, twisting his fragile neck until facing the pale faced Asuna who eagerly awaited a response. Instead, a nervous smile was what she received from him, before his stuttering jaw slowly opened "Heh…I…I m-may have overdid it" whispered Takamichi in a soft voice.

Asuna's eyes glistened brightly as tears crept into her eyes, and a polite smile admirably opened up with relief "You idiot" she pleasantly replied.

Without his permission or request, not that she needed it, Asuna used the hand currently grasping his arm to lift it high into the air, where she dragged it over her shoulders and neck while pulling hard, lifting the exhausted teacher up onto his trembling feet with effort and forcing him to hunch down because of the size difference between them. His shadow cast over hers and even if hunching down, Takamichi was remarkably still taller than Asuna, which set a humorous scene for both of them as the smile planted of their faces remained while they heavily turned to the present school bus still available that was currently being boarded by the other students of class 3-A, seeking protection, shelter, and most of all, knowledge that the other students in the hijacked school bus were safe.

Thanks to Takamichi, Kaede and Ku Fei received the well needed support of Setsuna and Zazie, who both aided without hesitation once watching the threat of undead on their side get eliminated and giving them the opportunity support them. Together, the four were managing the sustain the endless swarm as the surviving students rushed to the bus without corruption from the infection.

Meanwhile, as Mana watched the vindictive sight unfold with positive actions, a rough, unnecessary grouch mourned out of Lilason's mouth, and the unearthly feeling of her harshly slapping her palm over Mana's delicate shoulder caught the black widows attention with irritation as she aggravatingly turned ignorantly, angered by the sudden encounter while looking up towards Lilason's easily expressible face of confusion and concern which peered down into Mana's pale eyes. Both leered at each other awkwardly, neither speaking straight away because both expected some sort of explanation from one another to solve the recent action of what just happened, although, so much was happening in one go, explaining wasn't impossible.

Lilason heavily twitched at the implausible sight…Mana had no idea to why she was so…violent, why Lilason seemed so isolated, and worst of all, she didn't seem bothered by Takamichi's outrageous…ability, he just performed…which meant she knew something, and Lilason couldn't help but stutter with disbelief "I have no Earthly idea what the hell just happened" her voice was low toned and rather detailed in exaggeration. There was a short pause as the soldier dragged her sight from Mana to Takamichi, who was slowly being supported by Asuna as they both approached, then, she looked back down at Mana, still keeping a tight grasp on her shoulder "But we need to go" one arm swooped up, outstretching itself and instantly pointing the opposite way as her index finger peevishly wiggled around "NOW!" she demanded.

Mana didn't flinch at the threatening voice, nor did she show sign of being affected. Instead, she calmly followed the direction Lilason pointed at, where her recovering eyes sighted the school bus, rapidly having the remaining students pour into it with desperation as Zazie, with her usual, blank facial expressions, outspokenly leaned her back against the side of the yellow surface by the mechanical doors, directing students in quietly by just gently waving her palm around and indicating them to move. It really was an impressive sight, seeing Zazie so calm, even in a situation like this, even after the events that took place just mere minutes ago…she showed nothing but calm, saneness.

Turning back to Lilason, Mana couldn't blame her for being so pushy. Now she understood, her suspense, her shock, she just wanted to get out of there to find out what was really going on between the supposedly 'average' class. Thoroughly nodding with a mild frown, Mana shifted her knee's up as her feet stomped into the puddles, pushing herself up and proceeding to stand straight with a wonderful feeling where her height aligned with Lilason's who had yet to take her sight of Mana.

Together, synchronising one another's movements, both Mana and Lilason began to eagerly run as the brown haired soldier started shooting from the hip, where as Mana, who had unfortunately left her Howa Type 89 to sink into the puddle, was forced to endure the cosmic trauma she had experienced with elegant thoughts that only troubled her more while carefully trotting along with delicacy…not even she knew what kind of state she was in, especially after just recovering by some miralce during the daunting situation.

Quickly shifting her head to the side, Mana witnessed the straggling protectors cautiously back away as more undead approached staggered forward clumsily, easily growing in numbers and eventually overwhelming them to the point that holding them back would be improbable, if not an insult. Without Lilason realising it, Mana stumbled to a hold, screeching her worn down footwear across the lumpy concrete as she turned back, eerily watching Takamichi and Asuna struggle to keep up.

Gulping, she jerked her head back towards the remaining protectors, nobly lifting her head high as the explicit shouts of "Setsuna! Kaede! Ku Fei! Get to the bus now!" screamed from Mana's voice.

It easily caught each of their attentions as all three of them quickly turned, watching Mana giving them a slight nod of satisfaction before they watched her turn back, heading straight towards Takamichi and Asuna…but they weren't the only ones. Nearby, just about to stomp her foot onto the first step on the bus, Lilason narcissistically turned with confusion, having been so sure that Mana was right behind her.

One hand gripped the edge of the sliding doors as Lilason hovered above the ground diagonally, lightly tilting back and forth and flowing with the graceful winds while anxiously turning from side to side, unable to locate Mana but instead, met with the three young protectors skilfully making their way towards the bus. Her face cringed with annoyance and her blood boiled ignorantly "Where is she!" growled Lilason, expecting an answer. Without wasting time, nor giving much time for an actual response to be heard, the soldier savagely twisted her neck, facing the quiet and barely noticeable Zazie who had yet to speak or even attempt to get on the bus "Where is she!" Lilason asked again, more strictly. Zazie's blank eyes leered into hers, followed by a quiet exhale, and a simple shrug of the shoulders which further agitated Lilason.

Seconds turned to minutes, giving the disgusting undead the upper advantage as they advanced forward with prejudice, slowly but dangerously staggering closer to the bus and swarming around the back of it as their blood stained hands began pounding the windows, where eventually they would break, or the increasing infected would find their way around to the sides and front of the bus. With the exception of Takamichi, Asuna and Mana, everyone was in the bus, seated and disturbingly frightened by the loud clanks of flesh hitting fragile glass. Lilason, who sat in the divers seat, one hand on the door controls and the other on the wheel while direly stretching and poking her head out the door, heavily gasping at the unethical sight and at the unpleasant thought that maybe…just maybe…she had to leave them.

"_Where the hell are you! We need to go now!" _pondered Lilason, becoming desperate once the twitching sensation shivered into her clutched palms. It was time…they needed to go now before the inevitable struck…before escape was no longer an op-

"Wait!" screamed a familiar voice, instantly perking up Lilason's already fazed thoughts. She quickly turned, witnessing the wondrous, yet horrific sight of both Mana and Asuna practically dragging Takamichi along the murky ground as both had one of his arms heftily swooped over their shoulder, approaching at a mild speed "Wait a little longer!" cried Asuna.

It was better said than done. They may have been on the side that Takamichi had literally obliterated, but the other side of infected were closing in with risky intentions…it was going to be close, but Lilason had confidence in them as she pushed herself back into the comforting drivers seat, clutching the keys already in the ignition with her shaky fingers and twisting it with effort, causing the purring engine to roar viciously.

Then, she turned back to the doors, where she observed the heroic efforts of the exhausted students as they stumbled up the metal steps, hitting the surface hard when collapsing tiredly, narrowly avoiding the grasp on an undead that launched forward in a brutal attempt to clutch the ankle of Asuna, only to miss by mere inches.

"D-Drive!" deeply exhaled Mana.

Lilason didn't need to be told twice, instantly closing the mechanic doors just in time as a awry coloured undead conditionally slammed it's already battered and torn body into the delicate glass, snapping it's jaws and teeth along the glazed surface and producing awry sounds of sickening squeaks.

"Hold on tight!" alerted Lilason, dropping her foot like a weight on the pedal and causing the tires of the vehicle to heavily screech, producing black smoke and flared sparks that engulfed the undead surrounding the bus. It launched itself like a rocket, travelling in an intense straight line that deflected itself of the bumpy surface of the road and easily escaping the infectious threat.

As for the undead…they just stood there, motionly groaning and moaning with sorrow at the peaked sight while sucking in the poisonous fumes from the black smoke that didn't effect them at all. Then…like nothing had happened in the first place, they began to wonder again, keeping their usual abolished stance and staggering across the streets without a care, and without a bother.

Finally…safety was just a vehicle ride away…or so they thought…for what awaited them would soon intervene, and it wasn't in a happy mood.

* * *

**Ohhh this took a while to write, hehe, I am very tired and drained. I may need a short break.**

**Here is chapter 19 for your enjoyment!**

**Things are not going well for the survivors! With Kotaro, Negi and Takamichi now all weakened or out of action, how could they possibly hope to oppose The First and The Virus! But worst of all...what awaits the survivors of class 3-A who narrowly escaped death!**

**Any reviews will be appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	20. Another Encounter!

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday - 9:35AM - School Bus #2**

The roaring of the bus's purring engine violently echoed across the valley as the speeding vehicle raced itself down the murky, shallow road. Rain heavily fell and shattered itself across the fragile front view window, creating the constant sound of pitter patter which aggravated Lilason as she struggled to keep a steady grip on the barely controllably bus. The ridiculous amount of rain engulfed the bus, making it a hassle to see more than a few feet in front of them, which put not only Lilason, but the entire inhabitants of the bus, which included the surviving girls from Mahora Academy who had managed to keep going for so long thanks to the assistance of the exhausted protectors, all in a dire situation.

To Lilason's surprise, the cracked path that they drove through had seemed pretty clear, leaving only the remains of vehicles and objects scattered left to right, as if something had cleared the path for them. She could only guess that the madness of Tankins had caused the destruction before them and had created the clear path…she could only hope that the other surviving girls were safe and that the bus wasn't too damaged, otherwise the entire plan that they had barely overcome would have gone to waste, and new problems would arise for them all.

Lilason felt more jerky than exhausted herself. In a matter of minutes she had been through more threatening and exhilarating events than her entire military career would have offered. She had been in hand to hand combat with a monstrous creature, she had witnessed betrayal happen right in front of her, a mysterious energy source came from that teacher, Takamichi was his name if she remembered correctly, and now she was driving a school bus at high speeds down an abandoned road infested with undead everywhere she looked…it only raised many, many questions that Lilason was encouraged to have answered.

Her uneven hands struggled to keep a tight grip on the rough textured wheel as they madly stung with annoyance. It could have been the acid rain that repeatedly pounded itself against her delicate fingers, it could have been the icy winds from the horrific atmosphere, but either way, her fragile hands were glowing red with soreness, and it hurt to move them. The bus wasn't exactly room temperature, and the only warmth that was provided with Lilason's own breathe as she sighed over her shivering hands, producing a minimum amount of warmth that felt like heaven for the mere seconds it was available.

Lilason cringed while her chitterling teeth crackled together. She didn't know whether it was her nerves that were breaking, or if she was just cold. Every time she would sigh for the precious warmth she seeked, a white blast of condensation withered out of her mouth, slightly fogging up the already smudged window and making it even harder to see, not that it mattered, she knew her path was straight and clear.

Every now and then she would look up with disbelief, looking at the black clouds that glowed with a sick aura while lightening flashed around the sky, shortly followed by it's partner thunder. _"Some morning…" _was what she thought every time, only for that thought to be blanked out and engulfed with more questions about what the hell was happening and what she was doing.

At the back of the bus, the chatter of the survivors was very limited. Whispers would make there way across one side of the bus to the other as the stunned girls were unresponsive to most of the questions asked. They mostly came from the pink haired twins, Fuuka and Fumika, who would both ask questions to one another before passing them to the next students.

Fuuka, being the older, braver and more mischievous sister, sat by the blood splattered window, nervously looking out to the open world as she watched the infected they passed give a dirty glare at each and everyone of them, reaching out their arms and wickedly groaning with ghastly intentions. Fuuka knew they were safe at the time, but couldn't help but feel a churn in her stomach that made her want to be sick at the sight of them.

Then, she felt a weak tug on her shirt that wouldn't have been detectable if Fuuka wasn't on full alert. She rapidly turned with fast reflexes…being surrounded by those things for so long must have made her sensitive to anything around her. Fully turned, she first looked at the pale hand of Fumika still weakly holding a grip of her shirt, slightly rubbing her fingers against it to create minor warmth. Running her eyesight along Fumika's quivering, outstretched arm, she then caught a glimpse of her sisters face. Fumika looked as if she was about to breakdown at any minute. Quiet, innocent sniffles inhaled themselves through her nose before she began to stutter some words.

"F-Fuuka…d-do you think the o-others are ok?" yelped Fumika, who's words sounded murmured.

After a short pause while examining her sister, it was only then did Fuuka noticed that Fumika's hair buns on top of her head had become loose, which allowed her hair to unravel and become a mess. She now looked similar to Fuuka, not that Fuuka minded.

"D-Don't worry sis" comforted Fuuka. She lifted her hand which was as light as a feather and lightly began sliding the back of her hand across Fumika's forehead, wiping long strips of Fumika's hair across her head and over her ear "They're gonna be fine…right Chizuru?" asked Fuuka, who looked over the seat in front of them to see Chizuru begin to turn, strain fully looking over her shoulder.

"Of course" Chizuru tried to put on a convincing smile. Truth be told, it was a lot harder than she thought it would be "Don't forget, Negi sensei is with them, he wouldn't let anything happen to them, or us" convinced Chizuru.

"That's right!" abruptly interrupted Haruna, pushing up her delicate glasses along her nose "We can count on Negi" she smiled. Her smile was more convincing than Chizuru's, probably because it was in fact a real smile. Haruna wasn't an easy girl to faze. She practically drew this stuff in her own Manga before this all started.

"Tsk…" tutted Chisame. It was a quiet tut, so no one questioned her doubts _"These idiots don't know what their talking about…Negi may be a mage, but in his current state, this is way out of his league. We're talking about a soldier gone insane, this isn't childs play!" _she thought to herself. Chisame's hands, which were soothingly laid across her lap, began digging it's fingers deep into her skin with desperation and worry, something even Chisame found out of the ordinary _"Stay safe…Negi"._

Further up was the protectors, all huffing and puffing anxiously as they tried to regain their breathe. The one's who were still standing was Kaede and Ku Fei, who both took a tight grasp on the pole with the 'Stop' button clearly marked on it. They both stood opposite each other, side by side, examining the students and their surrounding area while breathing heavily. Their legs horribly ached, and it was a hassle to keep their eyes fully open and focused…but both knew, until they were out of the city, it wasn't over.

Close by was Setsuna, looking rather marred. She sat by Konoka and kept her concentration on nothing but the safety of her, constantly asking "Are you ok Ojou-Sama?" and similar questions while insisting that Konoka should stay seated. In the end, Konoka could only reply in words that would comfort Setsuna, calmly responding with her usual sweet, innocent tone and saying phrases such as "I'm fine Set-Chan" with her adorable smile that she knew Setsuna couldn't resist. To be honest, Konoka

wasn't fine, in fact, she was barely stable…she was in a similar state to what Fumika was in, but she didn't want Setsuna to worry…that was the one thing she hated more than anything else, upsetting her childhood friend. Konoka knew what Setsuna was going through, and how she felt…the least she could do was ease her pain by making it seem she was alright herself.

On the other side sat Zazie, who almost anyone could agree looked almost unrecognisable without her face paint. She sat by the window, hands in lap, staring through the foggy glass and not shifting herself the slightest. Zazie was like a statue, and the pale colour that stained itself onto her skin added that effect. Her dilated pupils peered through the glass, as if leering at something…they didn't move, and at times people weren't sure if she was even breathing at times…she just stared at one point through the window and rarely blinked. Both hands were deep within her lap, and the mysterious girl showed no signs of exhaustion as her breathing was calm and silent, much to the surprise of everyone else. She put just as much effort as everyone else to protect the students, so why wasn't she showing the effects they all endured?

The ones that took all this fatally though, were the three survivors that escaped death by mere seconds. Fatigued, the three of them were lying on the sticky, cramped floor besides the drivers seat and Lilason, heavily breathing with desperation. It was Asuna, Mana and Takamichi. They all lay on top of one another, eyes closed as they inhaled deeply and exhaled harshly onto one another.

Of course, Takamichi was the most vulnerable. His bones felt like glass, and any instant movements would make them shatter. Carbon Dioxide wasn't the only thing to escape his mouth when he exhaled, as minor whelps of "Ugh" and "Gah" agonizingly hummed out. After using that much power in the state he was in, no one could blame him. It had been a while since he lasted used power like that…the last time was up against Negi at the tournament Chao had held back at the festival…and even then he didn't go all out.

Beside him was Asuna, who was slightly dazed. She had her eyes open to take a peek at Takamichi and saw that he was safe, while at the same time could see the pain he was in. She didn't know whether to smile or not…he was safe, they were all safe for the time being, but at the same time a negative atmosphere surrounded them as each and everyone of them thought about the well being of the others and the unknown state of Takamichi.

Asuna hurtfully looked up, feeling a strain in her neck where Takamichi's weight had been pushing down on while she helped him to the bus. The first thing she witnessed was the outstretched hand of Kaede, who somehow managed to put on a thinning smile while opening her sticky, dry lips to speak "Let me help you De Gozaro" offered Kaede.

Asuna didn't have to ask twice, nor was she given the chance to respond as Kaede took a fitting grip of Asuna's wrist, where she began to pull hard. Eventually, Asuna was dragged to her feet, but she found it hard to keep balance at first thanks to the moving bus and her unsteady legs, which caused her to wobble around until using both her hands to take a grasp on the same pole Ku Fei had been using.

Feeling light-headed, it wasn't long before Asuna slumped herself into a seat, sitting beside Chisame who snarled at the unexpected girl's action. She then looked back, examining the other girls and seeing the poor facial expressions each one of them had. They were all saddening and sorrowful, but unique in their own way which made Asuna cringe. She felt like crying, but didn't want to make a scene and cause the others to worry. She had been through a horrific experience though, watching the one she admired fall and almost coming in contact with those creatures that had already killed many people, including some of her friends. If anything, they all felt crying, even Chisame…even Kaede and the other protectors…and deep down Asuna knew that…she knew she wasn't alone.

While Asuna was being helped up by Kaede, Ku Fei interacted with Mana at first, calling out to her in her usual childish voice "Lets get you up" as she took a hold of Mana's arm. Funny thing was, Mana was already in the process of getting up herself and had managed to get to her knee's on her own just fine…but she appreciated Ku Fei's help and accepted the offer, giving a nod of friendship and a 'hard to believe' smile which Mana used a lot.

"Thanks" she dully said. Mana stumbled to her feet, and like Asuna, struggled to maintain a proper stance at first as she wobbled around until eventually taking a grip on Lilason's driving seat. Before doing anything else, Mana looked down, aligning her eyesight towards Takamichi who was still on the floor. She looked up at Ku Fei, who looked back and knew that they had the same idea.

"Ku Fei" Mana called out. After that, she knelt down, preparing to take a hold "Help me get him onto one of these seats" she requested.

"Right" Ku Fei accepted without hesitation, she knew what kind of state Takamichi was in and what he had done for them, the least she could do was make him comfy.

Both knelt down and leaned forward, carefully taking a grasp on Takamichi's arm and putting it over their shoulders and around their necks. The whelping sound of "Argh!" groaned out of his mouth, catching the attention of everyone with a sorrow thought, including Lilason who barely knew the man.

"Careful with him, lay him down gently" insisted Mana.

"I know" agreed Ku Fei.

Takamichi's entire body was burning with heat as the raw energy within his veins slowly calmed down and returned to normal. It was as if he had a fever, but 10 times worse. Even small withers of smoke was still singing from his clothing and skin from how intense the heat was, Mana and Ku Fei could only hold onto him for so long before they began to feel the blistering heat.

Slowly getting him to his feat, both Mana and Ku Fei took a few light steps back, almost stumbling back at times because of the speed of the bus making an unbalanced area, and making it almost impossible to walk properly. What felt like forever for the three of them, Mana and Ku Fei finally managed to gently lay Takamichi onto a spare two seated chair. It wasn't exactly the biggest space available, but it was soft and better than the murky floor. Unravelling him as if Takamichi was entangled in them, Mana and Ku Fei carefully laid Takamichi across the two seats. Takamichi's back slouched itself against the surface of the window as he let his feet dangle over the edge of the end seat.

His breathing had calmed down, and he was slowly regaining his senses…but even he knew that he was going to be sore for a while. The whispered words of "T-Thanks girls" murmured out of his aching mouth as he attempted a smile of thankfulness.

Mana nodded again and turned away, where as Ku Fei gave a cheeky grin, winked, poked out her tongue and said "Don't mention it" while giving a thumbs up with her hand as she leaned one knee against the soft fabric of the seat Takamichi's feet were on.

Mana trotted along until reaching the front of the bus again. There, she approached the drivers seat, nostalgically patting her rough textured hand against the edge of the seat and letting her fingers sink into the soft fabric. Lilason felt the small vibrations created from it slither down her back, which slightly startled her and forced her to nervously twitch while taking the few seconds she had to look over her shoulder to notice Mana standing besides her, looking out the front view window as she degradingly sighed before turning back to the wheel herself.

Both waited for one another to speak first, as they knew their was a lot to say. It was awkward at first, and the only sounds being made were the purring engine that revved hard. At times, the blood stained bus would become rocky and tumble around a bit, Lilason could only guess that she had hit an undead that was unfortunate enough to roll under the grinding wheels and get crushed which created the rockiness.

Eventually, Lilason coughed hard, clearing her throat and making it obvious that she was about to speak "You alright?" she asked, seeming rather concerned.

"Yeah…sorry for what happened back there, I don't know what came over me" responded Mana.

"A moment of weakness, we all have our moments" comforted Lilason. Funny thing was, she had yet to have her own moment of weakness "What I want to know is what the hell that light of energy was that took out those things, cos it certainly wasn't the shitty air support, I'll tell you that" questioned Lilason in a strict voice.

Mana gulped, but she didn't know why. She knew this was coming, and yet it hit her hard "Listen, you've stuck with us for this long. Take us the whole way and I'll tell you back at the headquarters, deal?" negotiated Mana. She was much more concerned with finding the other bus and teaching Tankins a lesson instead of revealing everything to Lilason.

"Tsk" Lilason tutted. It was her way of buying time so that she could think over her answer. Then, to Mana's surprise, Lilason grew an unexpected grin "You drive a hard bargain…I guess I can hang in there a little longer" agreed Lilason.

"Good, now lets hurry, we have to catch up with that other bus and that bastard Tankins" informed Mana. Just saying his name made her blood boil, and the same went for Lilason, she had an equal hate for Tankins.

"You got it" simply replied Lilason.

The speed of the bus was already at it's max, and yet it felt like it was getting faster and faster once Lilason became motivated after the small talk with Mana. Her foot was pushing hard against the pedal…any harder and the thing would snap.

Further and further they went, getting closer to the outskirts of the city where freedom was just awaiting them. Then, without warning, Lilason lifted her foot off the pedal and pounded the breaks, causing the wheels to fiercely screech loudly and produce black smoke and sparks that flickered in the contaminated air. The bus grinded to a halt, and everyone flew forward, including Mana who narrowly avoided a head on collision with the front view window. She jerked back, digging her fingers into the seats behind her to keep a stable balance as she angrily turned to Lilason.

"What are you doing!" growled Mana.

Lilason didn't respond at first, nor did she notice the question. Mana gave Lilason a long glare until she finally witnessed the soldier cringing, as if struggling to look at something. Lilason was still facing forward, looking out the front view window…something caught her eye, something familiar and something she thought he recognised.

"Is that…" the words tumbled out of her mouth without her even realising it, interesting Mana to what she was about to say next. Mana followed Lilason's line of sight, where her eyes eventually ended up cringing as well as they both stared at something in the middle of the road.

A figure. A man to be more accurate, slightly hunched over as shadows completely covered the top half of his face. The man was deviously grinning as he slowly began walking closer to them with an undead-like manner. It intrigued Mana…why did Lilason stop? Didn't the figure look like any other undead she had already hit many times? No…something was wrong…this one wasn't responding to their presence…this one had a connection with her…she recognised this one.

As the man walked even closer, he became more visible. The camouflaged clothing, the black glasses, the brown hair…now they recognised him…now both Mana and Lilason knew who it was, and neither were pleased to see him.

Lilason gasped as her eyes widened with suspense "Is that Tankins!" she shouted, catching the attention of everyone, including Mana.

Mana leaned forward, getting as close as she could to the window to take a closer look. She watched as Tankins crept closer, looking down as his movements mimicked those of what an undead would move like. It was pretty convincing, enough to make Lilason say "Looks like the idiot got what was coming to him".

It didn't make sense though to Mana. Just a short while ago Tankins was perfectly fine. He could talk and drive, he even looked relatively healthy. And the fact that he wasn't in the bus just didn't add up…something was wrong. Then, what Mana saw next struck her deep within. She watched as Tankins face sluggishly lifted itself, removing some of the shadows from his face. The soldiers eyes then sparked up, and a bloodish red colour gradually began to glow bright with each passing second. The redness of the eyes shifted to the left, where it came in contact with Mana, and the devilish grin on his face mischievously grew into an evil smirk…one that Mana recognised…one that she remembered.

"_Oh no…" _she thought to herself. She knew now…it wasn't juat Tankins…it was something far worser than Tankins "Drive…" Mana quietly said to herself under her own breathe, not realising how quiet so was and that Lilason didn't hear her at first. Mana kept her eyes on Tankins as she noticed his speed increase insanely. She watched his lips start to move, eventually making out the word "Surprise" in a croaky voice which whistled through his lips. Once noticing that they still weren't moving, only then did she realise that Lilason was unaware of the situation. She then instantly turned to Lilason with blinding speed "Drive!" she shouted this time, making sure Lilason heard.

Lilason flinched "You don't have to tell me twice!" she replied. She wasn't sure what got Mana in a panicky mood, she just thought that she wanted to see Tankins get squished, which was fine with her.

Lilason glued her foot back onto the pedal, forcing the wheels to screech in place for mere moments before blasting off like a rocket. The bus began moving, quickly becoming a battering ram as Lilason seeked to hit Tankins already battered body. It reached top speeds quickly and closed in on Tankins like a heat seeking missile, locking onto him and never letting him out of Lilason's sight.

Just when the bus was about to collide with Tankins, the possessed soldier loudly screeched as The Virus within his body and mind forced him to bend his knee's and push himself hard, leaping high into the air and narrowly avoiding a collision with the bus. Only seconds later did Tankins body crash itself onto the front view window, landing like a cat and disturbingly positioning himself like a spider would with his arms and legs firmly planted onto the glass.

"What the hell!" shouted Lilason, who began to swerve left and right in an attempt to throw Tankins off the front of the bus "I can't see, he's blocking the view!" she informed.

Tankins continuously swerved his head from left to right, never pausing but keeping his red, glaring eyesight on Mana and making himself looked extremely insane as he narcissistically smiled with pleasure, opening his mouth and showing off his gruelling teeth. The Virus sucked up Mana's adaptive expressions with satisfaction as he ghastly exhaled, fogging up the glass with rotten condensation while beginning to speak "Ahh!" he sighed "What do we have heerree?" hissed The Virus, outstretching the word 'here' "Very interesting…very interesting indeed" deviously chuckled The Virus. From how it was reacting, Mana and the others would think it was enjoying itself. Truth be told, even after losing a hold of the first bus and being abandoned by mere humans, it still was.

Mana hesitated at first, out of everyone, she never expected The Virus to have implanted itself in Tankins. Then again, both were degrading beings that no one wanted to be around…that, or The Virus was just desperate. After all, they did chase it out of Konoka's body hastily, most likely giving it no choice but to enter Tankins. It wasn't just the thought that made her hesitate though, it was the new look Tankins had acquired. His teeth was stained with blood, and a mixtured flow of saliva and mutilated blood eerily dripped from his mouth while the lusting redness in Tankins eyes was bright enough to almost blind anyone.

Snapping out of her hesitance, Mana turned her back to The Virus and towards Lilason, where she caught a glimpse of her weapon firmly laying against the seat besides here. She blinked twice, grinded her teeth together and bit her tongue before making the decision "Give me your weapon!" exclaimed Mana, attempting anything to rid The Virus from the bus, and most importantly, their freedom.

Lilason had no chance to respond as Mana lunged downwards, grasping the automatic weapon with both hands skilfully and positioning the end of it correctly against her shoulder. It made Lilason question why Mana even asked for the weapon in the first place if she was going to take it anyway. It also made her question how Mana, a school student, knew so much about weapons, especially military weapons, which were only taught to military personal on how to use properly.

Now aiming the weapon, Mana turned and slyly swerved herself back around, jerking herself forward and now aiming at the fragile window. To her surprise though, Tankins was nowhere in sight. Did Lilason manage to throw him off? Did The Virus realise it was in danger and retreated? Mana had only one way to find out and sharply shifted her head towards Lilason, still keeping a tight grasp on the weapon as she still aimed towards the window "Where did he go!" questioned Mana.

Lilason didn't take her eyes off the road, but took one hand off the wheel as she poked her index finger out and nudged it up and down, signalling Mana where Tankins had moved "The bastard crawled on top of the roof!" answered Lilason "Sneaky son of a bitch was fast! Faster than what he usually is!" she added.

Mana sighed with frustration and slightly lowered herself. Her mouth opened and she tilted her head upwards, looking out of the front window and trying to get a sighting of Tankins. He's fast, but he's also big. Mana swayed her head left and right, but found nothing, which irritated her more as her annoyance began to kick in. Mana hated cowards, and she hated them the most when they ran away. But it wasn't the fact that The Virus ran…it was the fact that she was aware of them damage it could cause to anyone and anything, including them. No one could blame her for getting annoyed and desperate.

All went silent. Mana was left clueless as she pushed herself away from the window, looking up at the dusty ceiling and aiming at random spots in hope that some sort of evidence of The Virus's presence would surface, but she was left with nothing for the time being.

Then, without warning, just as the flash of lightening was produced, Tankins body suddenly appeared as it curled around the roof, splattered itself against the window Chisame sat by and devastatingly shattering the glass inwards with force, blasting back sharp fragments that whizzed past Kaede and Ku Fei. Both skilfully ducked and dodged the fatal hits, but minor cuts and scratches was made as the glass sliced through their skin with impressive speeds, leaving them with brutal stinging sensations as blood trifled down their arms and cheeks.

Tankins used one hand to keep a firm grasp on the roof of the bus as he hung on, using his feet and other free hand to do all the dirty work. The devious Virus wrapped Tankins feet around the neck of the startled Chisame, using her as a hostage while it's available hand waved it's index finger back and forth with pleasure "Ah ah ahh" humorously laughed The Virus "I will not be abandoned again" it hissed as It's grin turned into a displeasing frown.

The sore gagging of Chisame could be disturbingly heard as she struggled to speak, barely making out the words "G-Get thi-this thing o-off me!" in a strict yet obviously frightened voice.

Kaede jumped back to her feet, looking mystified as the impressive tactics of The Virus "Let her go!" ordered Kaede.

"Hmhmhm" chuckled The Virus, finding her demanding amusing "Make me" it snarled.

Kaede didn't hesitate to lunge forward, especially since she hated the torture Chisame was being put through. She threw her arm at Tankins numb leg, taking a grip on the ankle as she attempted to free Chisame. Pulling hard, Kaede attempted to use her other hand to grab a hold of his other leg, instead, just as she was about to take a grasp, The Virus used it's free leg to kicked away at her hand, and unexpectedly used the other foot she still had a grasp on to hit a cheap shot as the boot of Tankins foot slammed itself against her cheek, knocking her back. Still holding onto the foot that just struck her, Kaede pulled herself forward and attempted to strike Tankins in the face, only to have her hit blocked by his free hand.

An impressive amount of blocking happened between them at that point as Kaede fended off the kicks and punches of The Virus using only one her free hand with lightening speed. Kaede would throw a strike, it would be blocked by Tankins lifeless hand. He would then proceed to attempt to kick her where Kaede's inhumane reflexes kicked in as she slapped away the foot while attempting another strike. The cycle repeated itself. Eventually, Kaede managed to get a powerful hit in as she punched the side of Tankins face, sending him backwards and forcing The Virus to release Chisame.

However, still hanging on to the roof of the bus, the forceful punch gave The Virus momentum as it flipped itself across the top of the bus and over to the other side, sliding it's hand along the roof to keep itself connected until ending up on the opposite window, where The Virus stretched out Tankins feet and smashed though the glass. The entire body of Tankins flew past both Setsuna and Konoka, giving them both a devilish grin for the split second they had of eye contact before it turned it's attention back to Kaede, where it harshly dug Tankins boots into her back and forcing Kaede to stumble forward, where she half leaned out the already smashed window before taking an emergency grasp on the window ledge, sorely cutting her fingers on the shards of glass that hung off.

The Virus majestically stood in the middle on the speeding bus, snickering as it's eyesight changed back and forth from Mana to Ku Fei.

"Pathetic" insulted The Virus "I don't see what The First finds so special about wretches like you" it hissed.

Without hesitation and making sure The Virus had no more chances to talk, Ku Fei launched herself at Tankins, lifting her fist high and attempting to strike the seductive being before her. They were in a bad position though…in such a cramped space, neither Ku Fei nor Kaede could properly move and use their feet to attack The Virus, making their movements very limited.

Just as Ku Fei's fist was about to connect with Tankins face, the soldier swiftly ducked down and thrusted his fist upwards, only to have it blocked by Ku Fei's knee that she lifted up high with lightening speed. It surprised The Virus…it had underestimated them. Without a second thought, Ku Fei dropped her fist like weights, connecting it with Tankins rock hard skull and forcing the possessed soldier to fall to his knee's. The strike Ku Fei had hit was hard enough to make rock crumble, Tankins skull should have shattered and he should now be immobilised….but she was surprisingly wrong.

The Virus, looking barely effected, leeched Tankins hands onto both of Ku Fei's ankles, where it pulled with a tremendous amount of force. The martial arts girl hurtfully felt her feet lift off the ground as she fell back, landing on her back and hitting the back of her head hard against the marred surface on the floor.

Ku Fei closed one eye and left the other to slightly cringe and she grinded her teeth together to block out the pain. She could feel herself being dragged along the floor, closer to The Virus. Strainfully lifting her head off the ground, the sight Ku Fei saw next made her blood run cold.

The image of Tankins blood covered mouth widely open as he was about to singe his teeth into the flesh of Ku Fei's leg left a cold chill to run down her spine. One bite, and it was over, she knew that.. Ku Fei shook her feet madly, managing to break one leg free from it's grasp…unfortunately, it wasn't the leg The Virus was concentrating on. Pulling the same leg back, Ku Fei jerked it forward with intensity, cracking the heel of her foot against the same spot of Tankins head she hit before and slightly dazing The Virus. The Virus was now feeling the effects of what humans call a 'headache'.

"Such a nuisance!" scowled The Virus "Don't you want to become one with me!" it offered, attempting to bite Ku Fei again.

Suddenly, just before Ku Fei was about to hit the head of Tankins again, the unexpected leg of Kaede stiffly swung and cruelly collided with Tankins stomach, launching him through the air until he gruesomely crashed through another window, disappearing from their sight. The brutal sound of a body slamming into the road and rolling to a stop was all they heard as it slowly faded away.

As quick as it started was as quick as it ended. The tension between them was equal as both Ku Fei and Kaede heavily breathed while making eye contact with each other to check if they were both ok. Besides the cuts and scratches on their arms and cheeks, and perhaps a bit of bruising of Kaede's back, they seemed perfectly fine…but with all the blood they now had dripping from the cuts, they didn't look as appealing.

Ku Fei slowly rose to her feet and brushed herself off before being approached by Mana "You two ok?" she asked, obviously concerned.

"Nin nin, just a few cuts and scratches" answered Kaede, giving a smile.

"Yeah, nothing to worry about" comforted Ku Fei, giving her usual grin.

Mana sighed with relief. To be honest, she didn't think it would be that easy, but even she can be proven wrong at times. She smiled with thankfulness that no one was hurt to both and them, and then mildly turned, where she gently sat the weapon she had back besides Lilason's seat while stating "Everything's under control now" towards Lilason.

Then, just when Mana least expected it, the screaming voices of Fuuka and Fumika echoed through the bus as they both whimpered with sorrow. Mana turned to their screams with an instinctive speed, where she then listening to the cries they called out…and it wasn't what she had hoped for.

"He's still coming!" screamed Fumika with a hint of a frightened tone.

"He's catching up to the bus!" shouted Fuuka, equally as loud.

"What!" gasped Mana, immediately after she started dashing through the middle of the bus, brushing past both Kaede and Ku Fei roughly until reaching the end of the bus where Fuuka and Fumika were.

She looked at the window, where she witnessed the battered, bloody body on Tankins running after them with impressive speeds, slowly gaining on the already maxed out bus as a vengeful looked planted itself on Tankins selfish, deceiving face. Before Mana did anything else, The Virus let out a devastating screech of words that was high pitched enough to make the glass in front of Mana crack as she heard the words "I WILL NOT BE HUMILIATED AGAIN!" growl out of Tankins mouth, along with a disgusting amount of spit that was infested with blood.

Mana tutted with annoyance…just when she thought they had got rid of him. She then proceeded to use her elbow to break the rest of the weak glass, smashing it inwards so the glass fell out of the bus instead of the in, where the icy winds fiercely blew in and covered Mana like a blanket as she retreated for a second. Looking down, Mana began to unzip her heavy black leather coat, only taking the snip down to halfway before she slyly moved her hand as it hovered over the coat before sliding itself past and thought the open zip.

Fuuka and Fumika watched as Mana slowly pulled out her very own rifle, the one she hadn't used seriously since the face off against The First back at the library. They both heard the breathe of Mana stop inhaling and exhaling as she looked completely focused on The Virus while she softly pressed the butt of her gun against her shoulder and slightly tilted her head downwards as one eye shut while the other looked through the zoomed scope of the rifle she firmly gripped.

Although she had a perfect shot on Tankins, she they that he knew that she was aiming at him, and that The Virus could easily dodge her speeding bullets easily with it's enhanced speed. Mana began calculating everything in her mind, as if she was a human calculator _"At the speed that the bus is going and the speed The Virus is moving, Tankins is moving an inch closer every 0.79 seconds which means that a shot is only possible if I aim lower down" _Mana did just that, aiming around the neck area of Tankins in hope that she gets him in the head and destroys the brain_ "Even so, the fact The Virus can move at tremendous speeds will make it harder to calculate his moments. My first shot will miss, and since he's closer to the right side of the bus, he will manoeuvre left where I will fire again, but he will expect that and take a mad dash through the middle where he will attempt to strike at me…that will be my one and only chance to get a direct hit" _impressively calculated Mana.

Convinced, Mana nodded at herself and smiled. The Virus saw this smile and knew Mana was about to make her move and prepared itself, slightly swerving itself to the left just like Mana predicted.

Bang. The shot fired as smoke withered from the barrel of Mana's sound of the whizzing bullet buzzed past Tankins ear as he swiftly leaped to the left with amazing speed. Mana follow The Virus through the scope and aimed around the neck area again, where she open fired again. Bang. The bullet once again whizzed past The Virus, this time tearing through a piece of Tankins camouflaged clothing.

"_Big mistake, fool!" _snickered The Virus to himself. Tankins swerved himself to the middle like a plane and gained in speed, pushing himself as he made a mad dash down towards the bus.

Just as Mana aligned her scope with Tankins again, The Virus made him ferociously jump, shouting "You're mine now!" while doing so. The Virus was about to collide with Mana, prepared to tear her to bits until…bang. Another shot fired. More smoke whistled out of the barrel of Mana's rifle after the bullet departed. This time though…it hit. Being so close, The Virus had no chance to even think, let alone move as the speeding bullet tore through Tankins skin and lodged itself into the bone in his shoulder.

Mana watched as a ridiculous amount of reddish, blackish blood and pieces of the virus splurged out of the shoulder wound Tankins had. The body The Virus took refuge in flew back and hovered in mid air for a few seconds as it felt the pain kick in…it was worser than the pain it would have felt in an undead body…much worse. It horrifically screeched with anger before the back of Tankins crashed itself against the cracked roads and the back of his head violently smashed into the ground, where it proceeded to harshly roll around and skid along the concrete, feeling the blistering pain as the ground burned his back until the what was left was nothing but the reddish colour of blood that stained the remaining flesh Tankins had left on his back. Flesh hung off, blood poured from his back like a waterfall…even the back of his head had slightly been cracked open because of the impact…it was a mess.

Mana lowered her rifle, and sighed with disappointment _"I was too slow…the bullet entered his shoulder instead of his head…it will have to do though" _she told herself.

Finally, Tankins blood covered body screeched to a halt. It lay there for mere moments, looking lifeless…until…finally, movement. To Mana's amazement who was still watching from afar in the speeding bus, The Virus's rage was enough to pester the body to slowly tremble to it's feet. The Virus felt the stinging sensation from Tankins left shoulder and used it's healthy arm to swing and cover the bullet wound with it's hand. Blood began to trifle along Tankins fingers until it reached the end of the hand, where it disturbingly dripped off, hitting the ground hard. Both made eye contact, and neither were smiling.

Then, The Virus stumbled forward, furious. It knew it was too injured to do anything which infuriated it further. Having no other option, The Virus opened it's mouth wide and roared at Mana, screeching in both pain and frustration in an attempt to lower their morality, and to show that it wasn't over. The screech echoed down the valley, shattering any left over windows that were fortunate enough to have survived the clash from earlier between The First and The Virus. But Mana wasn't fazed…she simply turned her back to The Virus and walked away, leaving Fuuka and Fumika to curiously glare at the useless creature before them.

As for The Virus. It could only watch as the bus faded away from sight in the fog ahead, only angering it further _"This…THIS ISN'T OVER! For I am here…and here I am….just you wait…we shall meet again" _thought The Virus threateningly, somehow managing to grin through all it's anger and pain.

* * *

**Here's chapter 20 for your enjoyment!**

**Man it felt good to write this...well, until near the ending where I got a little tired =P**

**I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, I have only just recovered from writers block so i'm taking it slow at the moment.**

**Any reviews will be greatly appreciated though, and could even encourage me to write more =P**

**Thanks for reading!**


	21. Enhancing The Dead

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday - 9:44AM - School Bus #1 - City Outskirts**

The stench of rotten flesh materialised itself within the thinning air that withered across the pale, foggy outskirts of the city as the remaining survivors of class 3-A emptied the torn apart, blood splattered bus one by one, where they were met with the grisly, gut wrenching smell which made their stomachs gruesomely churn as each and everyone of them took the first, rough step of the bus with a heavy burden on their shoulders which weighed them down enough to make the girls stomp their feet against the cracking concrete hard once departing from the bus entrance steps. However, it wasn't just the smell of rotten flesh that merged with the oxygen they breathed…the distinct scent of mutilated blood pried itself within the scowled oxygen that already had the disturbing stench of rotten flesh, creating a ghastly green gas that was barely visible to the human eye to wither through the already contaminated air around them. The surviving girls of class 3-A were vulnerable to the horrific smell, and they had no choice but to breathe in the nasty gas that floated within the atmosphere. Each breathe they took, a distasteful flavour was produced at the back of their throats which made them all want to be sick, shortly followed by a burning sensation which madly stung their lungs. They had no choice…one way or another, no matter how long they held their breathes, eventually, they would experience the sickening procedure they were all forced to endure. The irony of it was that no matter where they were, the smell would come after them since the bus had a giant hole in the roof.

Everyone and everything was miserable. The constant sounds of thunder sent chills down the girls of class 3-A's spines as they struggled to contain their shrieks. They barely received a split second warning from the flashing lightning before hearing the monstrous thunder echo throughout the destroyed city. Every now and then the unsettling sound of an undead groan would creep it's way towards the girls, making most of them turn with panic towards the direction the sound came from while squalling and waving their hands around to defend themselves. In the end, nothing would be in their line of sight, which they were completely fine with…but it raised the question for all of them, what did make the undead-like groan they had familiarised themselves with over the course of the week? No one was partially confident or thrilled to attempt to find out as they all waited by the damaged bus, sticking together as a group and keeping close to produce what little warmth they could.

On the bright side though, the burning acid rain that had been pestering them all and causing major discomfort for them all the entire time as it left burning sensations on their skin that made them want to itch like crazy, similar to a bug bite, wasn't as heavy. Being on the outskirts of the barely stable city meant one thing, that they were on the verge of leaving everything behind. The school…the degrading atmosphere…maybe even some other desperate survivors that hadn't managed to escape and weren't lucky enough to have been found by the girls of class 3-A… Lesora with an exception, and if it hadn't been for the selfishness of the uneducated Yatsun who brutally caused the distressing death of her husband, he would still be with them as well. Even so, Lesora looked just about ready to give up. The only reason she was still with them was because of the wide amount of encouragement she had received from the girls back at the library, and the hotel to keep going…truth be told, the girls thought it was a miracle that she had cooperated with them and that she was still going, the old woman was growing weaker every passing moment and they didn't know why…was it lack of food? Maybe her age was getting the better of her? No…she hadn't told anyone yet, and she had no intentions of admitting it…but she had lost faith the moment she learned of her husbands death…and even she knew that it was a matter of time…the loss of the one she loved had provoked her heart to keep going.

The biggest relief of knowing that the hurtful rain was becoming lighter and lighter was obvious to each and every one of them. They had seen it all before…the sudden appearance of the haunting black clouds that hovered above the city ever since the apocalyptic atmosphere appeared, ever since the undead disturbingly dragged their way into to city and spread their ghastly infection across the once sane streets filled with humans….ever since…ever since The First and The Virus debuted themselves into everyone's lives. The solution was simple, the lighter the rain was, the less black, thunderous clouds that were around precisely told them how far they were from the two monstrous creatures known as The First and The Virus. For wherever the sick commanding creatures went, the mayhem and destruction of mother nature was sure to follow, to infest the clear, beautiful skies with horrific, sickly coloured black clouds that unleashed thunder and lightning upon the Earth, and to contaminate the fresh oxygen with the other worldly virus that spread like a disease into the oxygen. It was a relief for them all to know that in the direction they were heading, the skies near them were clearing up and that the air was becoming fresh again…because then they knew that The Virus and The First wasn't near, which also meant that their infected army of undead were also unlikely to be near. For now though…the presence of even the smallest drop of rain told them all…that it wasn't safe…that The First and The Virus were both around.

They waited. They all waited. The last person to exit the bus was the sweet Ako, who trembled down the steps with fear as the constant images of blood made her extremely woozy. Everyone always wondered why she became a nurse when she had a fear of seeing blood…although, at dire times like this, most of them were now glad that they had someone who was experienced with medical related knowledge. On the other hand, there was only so much Ako could do. She found herself barely useful at the time…without proper equipment or medicine, she could really only diagnose people…which in reality meant giving them the bad news, and then giving them worser news that their was nothing she could do. It was reliving for her to know that nothing had happened so far, except for when she witnessed the threatening condition Negi was up close, which certainly worried her and made her concerned for Negi.

As the shy, light blue haired girl took her first light step on the cracking concrete surface, she was overwhelmed with the narcissistic stench of rotting flesh that surrounded them all. She could feel the blistering burn in the back of her throat, but she could also feel the effective churning in her stomach that forced her to slightly lean down to avoid the strange feeling. It didn't work. Ako slightly stumbled around, side stepping herself uncontrollably as she placed one hand against the hard, rough surface of the bus for support while she slapped her other palm against her mouth once feeling the eerie sensation that she was about to be sick. Her senses were very vulnerable, she couldn't help it. Ako quietly gagged, not trying to draw attention as she attempted to avoid vomiting. Her face turned a sickly pale colour as she heavily cringed, still covering her mouth.

It only took moments before Ako drew the attention of someone close. Nearby, slightly curling herself into a ball as she knelt down while frantically rubbing her hands along her arms with intense speeds was Yuna, who at the time was trying to remain calm by taking deep breathes in and exhaling them out, even if she was taking in the horrific smell. Truth be told, Yuna adapted quick to the smell…she was like that, getting use to things pretty easily. Each time she heavily exhaled, a blast of snow white condensation burst out of her mouth, where it was engulfed by the contaminated air around them.

Only when she heard the heart breaking coughs and moans of Ako did Yuna look up towards her, where she witnessed the exposed girl hunched down while looking ready to faint _"Uh oh" _the athletic girl thought, she knew how easy Ako was fazed by blood and similar things, she couldn't blame her for acting the way she did. Yuna didn't hesitate to jump to her feet with force, leaping into the air while and looking like a professional sportswoman, and of course, she was, thanks to all her basketball training and skills. Not wasting anytime, she began running over to Ako with worry, using her tremendous speeds to get to the girl in need in a matter of seconds. When by her side, Yuna gave Ako a friendly gesture by patting her smooth, warm hand against the poorly feeling Ako's back as she levelled herself with Ako's height, where Yuna proceeded to look at the side of Ako's face while the blood fearing girl continued to look down at the ground.

Ako could feel the warm hand of Yuna immediately take effect as the body heat Yuna had only just built up cosily transferred itself through Ako's shirt and onto her back. With her mouth still covered, Ako slowly turned her head, where the first thing she witnessed was the comforting smile of Yuna directed at her. Ako truly would have smiled back, and she wanted to, but her hand blocked any expressions she showed…and she would take her hand away, but she was afraid that if she did, the sudden urge to be sick would come back and hurt her more.

Yuna sighed with sorrow…she hated seeing someone as exposable and innocent as Ako look this way. There was a short pause between the two of them as they watched one another, until eventually Yuna spoke "You ok?" she asked with concern.

It took Ako a few moments to respond, but in the end all she did was nod to avoid encouraging the waste inside her stomach to come up while she attempted to speak. The woozy girl sighed, closing her eyes for a short while as she began to think _"I-I'm not completely experienced in things like this, but if I knew any better, I would say we're in a dangerous position. Burning sensations at the back on the throat…immediate wooziness…we're all breathing in dangerous toxins that can seriously damage our inside organs if too much is inhaled into the lungs…we can't stay here for long, otherwise the others will start feeling just like me, but much worse" _Ako told herself.

"Do you want to sick back in the bus?" asked Yuna.

This time, Ako did respond with her words. She assumed she was becoming a burden to not just Yuna, but everyone "N-No! I'll be fine…we'll all be fine as long as we don't stay around this area for too lo-" before Ako could finish her sentence, she felt a sudden cold sensation begin to slither along her fingers that firmly planted themselves against the surface of the yellow bus. Curious, Ako turned to discover what the source was of the cold, slimy, wetness on her hand.

As Ako discovered what was on her hand, Yuna witnessed the face of the weary girl turn even paler, if that were possible. Ako's brown coloured eyes slightly faded away as if she had lost consciousness when she witnessed the substance on her hand. Where Ako had placed her hand along the torn apart bus, blobs of blood which was splattered all across different area's of the bus had slyly managed to slide down the even surface of the yellow bus until it connected with Ako's fingers, where it began to slither along her smooth, soft skin. Startled, Ako's mind went blank as she came face to face with one of her biggest fears, feeling a cold shiver tingle down her spine as faint "Ah" sounds quietly escaped her mouth without her even realising it "B-B-B-Bl-B-Blo-B" the word repeatedly stuttered itself out of Ako's mouth, never completing itself as Ako's words began to slow and grow quieter. Ako's lips quivered, and her hands madly began to shiver uncontrollably. Slowly, she was consumed by her fear…beginning to feel numb…slightly losing her vision as it went blurry.

Yuna, who knew exactly what was happening to Ako and what happens when she comes into contact with blood, took quick actions to help. After all, her and Ako were good friends, and she had seen this happen quite a few times to Ako back before the whole infection started and the city was still stable and sane…it was only natural to know by now what she had to do to help "Ako! Yuna shouted, attempted to keep her conscious "Hang on, let me get the blood off" she insisted.

The first thing that popped into Yuna's head was her shirt. Truth be told, there really was nothing else she could have used. She instantly looked down and moved her arm fast with amazing reflexes, taking a tight grasp on her white shirt and pulling it upwards, slightly exposing her stomach. Yuna leaned inwards, quickly making it her goal to help Ako as she took a hold of the cold girls wrist and pulled it away from the blood covered bus. She then proceeded to run her plain white shirt along Ako's hand and fingers, using it as a sponge as it absorbed the dark red blood and completely stained Yuna's shirt.

"Ako! It's ok now! The blood's gone!" informed Yuna, slightly shaking Ako with the one hand that was still firmly secure on her back in case Ako really did faint.

The words were loud and clear, but they barely reached Ako who slowly recognised the concerned words. Gradually, Ako began regaining her senses until eventually she was back to her usual self. The first thing she did was flinch while panicking, grasping a hold of Yuna's arms in fear as the word "Yuna" softly whistled past her smooth lips.

Yuna sighed with relief "Good, you're ok" she smiled "You had me worried there for a second" admitted Yuna, who wasn't easily fazed.

"T-Thank you" appreciated Ako. Only seconds later did she look down to see the blood stained shirt of Yuna "Oh no, your shirt" Ako said with sorrow.

"Don't worry about it" Yuna comforted "All that matters is that you're safe" she implied, smiling. When Ako looked back up with regret, she caught Yuna's smile, and moments later smiled back…she had good friends.

Nearby, sloppily gathering into an unorganised huddle a few feet away from the maintaining bus that from their point of view was enduring it's last moments, were the rest of the frightened, surviving girls of class 3-A, all assembling together as they grieved over a something worrying that they all only just recently discovered. They shared the grief as they all mourned together, momentarily keeping silent since neither of them knew what to say or what to do at first. The negative feeling that was barrowed deep within them slowly shovelled itself out and radiated off each of them as if they were the negative side of a magnet, setting up a sorrowful atmosphere that surrounded them…that homed in on them and effected them all. It was the biggest reason to why they stopped and exited the tiring bus, even if they knew the largely dangerous risks that slyly withered around. The hungered undead, the burning rain, the disgusting scents…they all conveniently agreed to stop because of the troublesome thought that bestowed itself upon them and left the feeling of sadness and guilt with them all.

While sharing the uncomforting, nerve racking feeling between them, the girls couldn't help but take notice to the coldness that made their worn down knee's tremble on the spot as they madly shivered. The icy winds passed through them as if they were ghosts, leaving the consuming feeling of numbness to spread itself throughout their body and make their blood run cold as the harsh weather left sore, red imprints to stain the smooth skin of girls such as Ayaka, Natsumi, Makie, Nodoka and many others who all desperately kept together to produce the little warmth they could…but to their disappointment, the warmth barley lasted a second, and between them, it seemed like nothing. However, compared to the neglected sensation each and everyone of them felt from the thought that deeply troubled them, the coldness was easily blocked out. A lot of them looked ready to breakdown, where as others were indescribable as their faces contained nothing but blank expressions of lost hope as they were left speechless. All they could do they was wait…wait and hope that the worry that they carried would be lifted within a matter of minutes.

The worry of course, was something that deeply intertwined with their exciting lives, otherwise why would they have stopped? While still on the speeding bus, they had openly discussed it with one another until eventually learning the horrific truth …they all knew why they were waiting…they all knew what one another was thinking, but no one was brave enough to bring up the topic again, which was partially the reason to why no one was speaking. The discussion started shortly after the departure of The First and The Virus when they realised that someone was missing…they all thought he was safe…they all thought he was just resting on top of the bus… once discovering the unthinkable, it was already too late to turn back…they had already gone a hefty distance…if only they had realised it sooner…if only they had learned that he wasn't with them…they wouldn't be here now, uselessly waiting with incompetence, instead, they would be still be in the core of the city, looking for him with dire intentions. The worry they carried…the thought that made them all feel uneasy…was Negi, who was missing from the group ever since the encounter between The First and The Virus ended.

The sudden realisation that Negi wasn't with them left the surviving girls of class 3-A is a distant state of shock. If it hadn't been for Ayaka, who had somehow managed to summon enough impressive courage through all the fear and sadness to amazingly stand on top of one of the worn down, fabricated seats and poke her head through the sharp, torn hole of the bus roof while the bus itself continued to speed down the roads, where to her unstable horror she noticed that Negi wasn't with them as her luscious blonde hair madly waved around through the razor sharp winds, then they most likely wouldn't have discovered that the whereabouts of Negi were unknown. It practically made Ayaka degradingly cry out his name in a loud, long motion in a high pitched voice that drowned itself in sorrow…enough for the other girls who were still recovering from the earlier scare to hear the concerning cries of their class rep, where shortly after they all agreed to screech the bus to a halt and wait for the next bus to appear, in hope that Mana and the others had found and picked up Negi on the way to their location. The guilt was heavy, and they didn't know how they would cope with it if anything did happen to Negi…he tried to protect them and this is how they repay his services…by leaving the poor, injured boy behind by accident…it made them all feel sickly terrible and ashamed to be a pupil of him, but all they could do now was hope while the feeling of worry engulfed them.

Ayaka, who looked the most miserable out of them all, stood at the front of the group, holding both her cold, quivering hands up close to her chest and near her hurtfully beating heart. She fidgeted around with her wet, blistering cold hands by rolling them over each other repeatedly, making it obvious to the others how much this was affecting her. They all knew how much she cared about Negi, even if it was rather…abnormal…in some of their eyes. Truth be told, ever since the knowledge that Negi wasn't with them, they now all looked up to Ayaka and seeked her help…after all, she is the class rep, it was only natural to turn to her for guidance at a time like this…although, at the same time, they all felt bad for asking for Ayaka's assistance when she seemed to be the one who was suffering the most to his disappearance.

Nearby were the three cheerleaders Madoka, Misa and Sakurako, each looking equally as sad each other while the three girls chitterling teeth could be heard, all in sync with one another. It was rare to see the three active girls so stiff and inactive, but even so, they were the only three that were actually quietly talking. Those around them, including Ayaka, could easily hear the short, weak words stutter out of their mouths and listened in on their conversations, where as the others who wasn't close enough to hear their sweet, innocent voices would end up watching a blast of snow white condensation escape their mouths which indicated that the girls were talking.

Madoka slightly wiggled her nose around as she briefly sniffled in small amounts of the rotten oxygen. Each breathe of air she took in felt as cold as ice as it inhaled up her nostrils, leaving a callous sensation that hurt her. She knew it, and both Misa and Sakurako could see it as Madoka's nose glowed a bright red colour. She had a complex cold. But what worried Madoka the most was that she received the existing cold from the surrounding area, which they all knew was contaminated and dangerous. It wasn't long before a ticklish sensation tingled around her nostrils, and eventually Madoka released a vicious sneeze into the palm of her hand she used to cover her mouth.

Madoka sniffled again, running her index finger along her sensitive nose as she began to speak "Uh…do you think Negi sensei is ok?" Madoka asked, sounding rather unusual thanks to the cold. Her tone was deeper and less understandable as the eerie mucus she had blocked her constricted senses.

"He has to be!" immediately answered Sakurako, perking up with worry "I mean…there's no reason why he shouldn't be…r-right?" she stuttered.

Misa sighed, she knew Sakurako was trying to help, but even lying about something so oblivious wasn't going to work. Although Negi was a mage, they were the few that had yet to discover that secret. In Misa's eyes, Negi was just an average ten year old who was already in a horrific state and was lost in the middle of an undead infested city, alone, without any kind of protection…just the thought of it made her teary "How can you be so sure!" harshly lashed out Misa.

"M-Misa…" whispered Madoka with sorrow.

"I also hope Negi is ok…but he's out there, alone, and we're not doing anything about it. I'm not saying anything has happened to him…b-but…but we have to prepare for the worse" explained Misa.

"E-Even if you say that, I don't want to think about stuff like that Misa" cried out Sakurako. Her head tilted downwards as she tried to hide her sadness. Seeing Sakurako upset was a rare site "He's going to be fine…that's all I can say…please Misa, don't take that away from me" sobbed Sakurako.

"S-Sakurako…" whispered Misa. Only then did she realise what she was saying and how much of a jerk she was being. Annoyed with herself, Misa tightly closed her fists as the urge to cry grew "I-I'm sorry Sakurako…all this is just too much…it's getting to me…I can't help but feel we should be doing something right now…I just want to know if he's ok!" sobbed Misa, roughly positioning both her cold palms over her pretty face as she attempted to cover up any tears that were about to fall.

It wasn't long before Madoka and Sakurako join Misa as the three leaned on one another for support, letting soft weeps slip out of their dry lips. They huddled together, forming a small circle between them and letting their tears spill onto each other. It didn't last long though, as the heart warming moment was quickly interrupted by the grouchy voice of Ayaka, who had been creeping in on their conversations the entire time "Stop talking like that!" growled Ayaka. Her voice was strict and demanding, but a hint of sorrow was detected as a small crackle was heard at the back of her voice, even Ayaka was ready to cry "You're speaking as if it's already over" she informed. Ayaka engaged the stares she received from the three of them…she didn't want to interfere or be the one that kills the mood, but Ayaka knew that she had to keep them confident and motivated that Negi was fine. After staring back for a few seconds, she turned away and looked down at the blood stained ground she stood on, silently tapping her feet lightly against the solid surface of it as her voice murmured out the words "Negi sensei is going to be fine…I just know it" which was barely recognisable to anyone, but still understandable. The long stares of the three cheerleaders burned into the back of Ayaka's head, and she could feel it…but being herself, Ayaka shrugged off the feeling and ignored them. Truthfully, the three cheerleaders wasn't giving her stares of retaliation, but rather stares of a sense of truth and understanding…Ayaka was right, and they knew it.

It all went quiet for a few moments. All that could be heard was the icy whistling winds that brushed past everyone's ears, leaving behind a cold, ticklish sensation that dispersed itself around them all and left minor irritation. Then, without warning, the unexpected humble voice of Makie caught everyone's attention and made them all flinch as they turned towards the overly excited girl "Look!" shouted Makie, thrusting her arm upwards and pointing in the direction Ayaka was facing just moments ago "Their here!" informed Makie, feeling a slight sense of relief in her words.

They all frantically blinked with exhaustion at first whilst glaring at the admirable, cute Makie. The pink haired girl smiled, and that's what kept them all focused on Makie for the short period of time that felt like an eternity…it was the first in a long time they had all seen a real, convincing, motivated filled smile like hers brighten up their lives. Ever since the apocalyptic world started, everyone would smile with uncertainty or just fake their smiles to make others feel better…but Makie's was different…it was real…it brought warmness to their hearts. Makie's eyes glistened brightly as they showed a glimpse of hope in the corner that lit itself within her…however, it could only last so long like a fire, where eventually it would dim into nothingness if provoked by words.

One by one, accurately following the direction Makie's sensible hand pointed at in depth, the surviving girls each swiftly turned away from the outskirts of the city and aligned their sights all onto direction, and one object. They all watched and witnessed the second tremendously speeding bus roar it's way down the cracking roads as the memorable image of Mana and Lilason clearly peeking through the front window with a smile on their faces burned into their insightful minds, awakening the little hope they all had left…the little hope that they saw Makie had in her eyes. They also noticed the condition the second bus was in…it wasn't as bad as their bus, but all the smashed windows and blood splattered across the yellow painted signs suggested foul play had been done while they were driving there…but they looked safe enough, and that's all that mattered.

From inside the bus, the loud, relived sigh of Mana was easily detectable to the grinning Lilason as the black haired widow softly called out "There they are…they're all safe" as the words tiredly tumbled out…finally, Mana could stop worrying.

Lilason mildly shrugged "Yeah, but their bus looks buggered up. Look at the thing, there's a hole in the roof!" she pointed out, taking one hand off the wheel and pointing upwards at the ceiling of the bus ahead "I'll have to take a look at it and see if the thing still works. You can drive, can't you?" asked Lilason, looking over to Mana "With that idiot Tankins out of the picture, you'll have to drive this bus and follow me to the Headquarters now that I'm the only one who knows where it is" explained Lilason as she turned back to the wheel.

Mana simply nodded. She was too busy concentrating on the students and counting them up that she mildly ignored the words of Lilason, not that she was aware. There was something wrong though…Mana could just feel it the second they enter an appropriate radius of their atmosphere. The negativity was vile and easily detectable, even Lilason felt a little heavier as if a burden was suddenly put on her shoulders…the soldier turned back towards Mana to see the silent assassins eyes madly sway from left to right as if she was scanning the girls and location like a robot…and shortly after, Mana's smile slowly faded and sunk into a deeply detailed frown that then told Lilason that something was bothering her.

With the worn down bus still going at high speeds whilst growing closer, some of the surviving members standing in the cold, damp weather besides the other bus couldn't help but pull a confused look of worry as the thought that the bus was about to crush them came to mind. But, that thought was mentally destroyed as the ear bleeding sound of the speeding bus's wheels brutally screeched in an attempt to stop the bus. Black smoke blasted out from the wheels as the tyres grinded themselves against the solid concrete underneath the wheels. The loud screech echoed around them, and easily alerted any nearby undead that at the time weren't aware of their presence, provoking them to eerily look up with their crooked faces and look around with their pale eyes before snarling a disturbing groan and staggering forward, chasing the sounds as if it were in front of them. It wasn't long before sparks ignited from the burning wheels, scattering the bright yellow lights across the tar road until eventually dimming again.

Finally, after a long trail of screeching and leaving blistering tyre skid marks on the road, the bus eventually heaved itself to a halt, just a few daring feet away from beautiful blonde haired girl Ayaka. The close encounter slightly made the class reps eye twitch with nervousness as she too pulled a funny face of confusion and concern, but moments later she managed to shrug it off once witnessing the bus doors open with a steamy sound of 'kshh' and seeing Mana flexibly move herself around, attempting to exit the glass shattered bus. While following Mana's movements, Ayaka quickly noticed Lilason at drivers seat. She looked scruffy and uncaring about her looks, butt hen again, they all did after what just happened. Lilason gave her a quick wink and a thumbs up of success…of course, being herself and having worried about the predicament of the missing Negi the entire time they were there, Ayaka took that as a sign that they had found Negi…when in reality, they were completely unaware of his disappearance. It made Ayaka smile with happiness and she prepared for the encounter of Mana.

The heavy clank of Mana's boot forced Ayaka to flinch as Mana herself pounded her first step hard against the surface of the concrete…she didn't intend on looking so violent, Mana could only guess that standing on a fast speeding bus the entire time must have messed with her legs and made them feel lighter and number than usual from all the vibrations. As she placed her other foot off the bus entrance steps and against the concrete besides her other foot, more carefully this time, the first thing Mana did was strainfully straighten up as she stretched herself out, placing both her warm palms against her back and pushing hard as a relaxing feeling distributed itself around her. Then, like lightning, her head soothingly turned with speed, where her eyes connected with the closest person which was Ayaka. The two glared at one another…what felt like days of separation to them when in reality is was less than an hour, they had seen and felt despair, exhaustion and frightfulness …finally, the feeling of satisfaction returned to them as the knowledge that they were all together again as one group was realised. Although Ayaka's smile warmed Mana's heart, she couldn't smile back until finding out why the atmosphere was so negative.

Mana elegantly turned her healthy body towards Ayaka's direction and strolled over to the class rep, clanking her heavy boots with each step she took. The closer she got, the more noticeable their size difference was…truth be told, Ayaka and Mana rarely interacted, especially when it came to one-to-one conversations, they were seen more as a 'stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours' couple before the outbreak started. Eventually, Mana stumbled to a halt, taking a moment to breathe in deeply the eradicated air that floated around them and to experience the nauseating effects that it gave her…but to Ayaka's surprise, she showed no signs of bother towards it. The size difference wasn't that much, but Mana still had to look down at Ayaka's pretty, smiling face as if she was a friendly giant.

Mana grunted as she cleared her throat "I'm glad you're all ok" she began leering over Ayaka's shoulders, looking at the other girls who all looked back. Some smiled, others still had a look of concern on their faces "All of you" Mana said again, making it clear she is truly thankful that they were all safe.

Ayaka's smile grew "Did Negi tell you what happened! If he safe! I knew he wouldn't give up on us! That monkey look-a-like Asuna better not be treating his wounds, that's my job!" shouted Ayaka, but with a tone of humour.

Mana raised her eyebrows with immediate concern "Wait, what do you mean?" questioned Mana with confusion.

"Negi sensei…" Ayaka's voice croaked halfway through the sentence, slowly dimming down as her excitement started to fade "H-He's with you…right?" whispered Ayaka with a voice of sorrow.

That's when it hit Mana. That's what was missing. That's why the atmosphere was so negative. Negi wasn't with them "Ayaka, what happened?" Mana asked with a hint of desperation in her cracking voice.

"The bus…I-It was attacked…by Kotaro! He and Negi were on the roof when that crazy soldier joined in…we…we thought Negi was ok when we get rid of them b-but he disappeared! Did you find him! Mana! Please!" Ayaka stumbled forward as if begging and almost colliding with Mana as she witnessed the lost expression on Mana's troubled face has she had trouble trying to take in everything at once. That's when Ayaka realised it…that's whe h she learned he truth, her hopes had been destroyed…Negi wasn't with them "O-Oh no…" Ayaka's voice was weak and she could feel herself go light headed "I-I-It can't be…" she whispered. Ayaka's pupils hasrhly constricted themselves as she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, as if she had been stabbed by a knife. It wasn't long before her face turned pale and she felt weak at the legs, forcing Ayaka to roughly drop to her knee's as they slammed into the rock hard concrete with hurtful force which would most likely leave some kind of bruising. She was slowly losing consciousness from the sudden shock after learning about Negi. Apart from the concerned shout made by Mana calling out her name, everything went silent.

The implicit gasps from the other girls as they watched Ayaka fall were all simultaneous and sounded horrified…neither of them were sure what happened that would make Ayaka act the way she just did, but it must have been terrible. They all quickly trembled forward, joining Mana in calling out Ayaka's name with sorrow as they witnessed their class rep slowly lean back, about to fall from her knee's to her back onto the ground.

Mana dropped down with speed as if dodging a bullet, using her fast reflexes where she proceeded to quickly curl one arm around Ayaka as she slapped her quivering palm against the lost girls back, pushing hard and keeping her upright. Mana used her other hand to grasp Ayaka's cold arm, where she began to mildly shake her while shouting "Ayaka! Stay with me!" with aggression. During the whole event, Mana couldn't help but think to herself and recap the recent discoveries _"This is bad…Negi could be anywhere. He was already in a weary state when I last saw him, I can't imagine how he is now after encountering both The First and The Virus together…it must have been devastating. I shouldn't have sent him on his own! Dammit! We could have easily passed him on the way here…if only I had known sooner. I need to know how he is, where he is, anything will do!" _then, it suddenly hit Mana as she frantically blinked _"Wait a minute…of course!" _after gaining a sudden idea, Mana turned her attention away from Ayaka, who was slowly regaining her senses back, and began sharply jolting her head left to right, student to student as she scanned them, looking for the right girl. Only seconds later did her perfect, linguistic eyes freeze. Mana paused for a moment, and then locked onto the girl she was staring at.

Her pumping heart dramatically increased in speed as Mana could feel the tension restart itself just minutes after being relieved…and it didn't feel satisfying. The cold blood that flowed through her exposable veins grew thick and harder to move thanks to the unexpected worry that bestowed itself upon her. It was cold…far too cold…Mana exhaled a hefty amount of carbon dioxide, blasting out a fog of condensation that burned in the toxic air as contaminated cells from the air particles overwhelmed it. She suddenly found it hard to breathe as her muscles tightened and as her lungs filled with anxiety.

Mana jolted her head upwards through the thinning air, grinding her teeth together and sorely biting her tongue while doing so and her eyes redirected themselves towards the frightened Natsumi and the concerned Akira, who were both the closest to Ayaka after they had both witnessed the situation happening and came to check up on their class rep like good friends would. They both shivered and the chitterling of their teeth could be heard by anyone close, not that they could help it. Mana hesitated for a moment, swiping her tongue over her bright, white teeth as a light sucking sound came from her mouth at the same time before a minor grunt escaped her dry lips as Mana slyly opened her aching mouth "Natsumi! Akira!" called out Mana…the ironic thing was, she didn't even have to shout, they were both already there. The two girls flinched and became startled to the unsuspecting call out as they gulped and looked down at Mana, who's mouth was still open… but no words came out at first, as if she was thinking of something to say "Stay here with Ayaka" ordered Mana.

Natsumi and Akira agreed without question, both nodding their heads and humming a tone of acceptance that soothed the ears of Mana, she enjoyed it when things went her way. The girls tiptoed closer, both kneeling down as they sat opposite sides of Ayaka and gently placed their palms over her cold, lifeless arms and shoulders, peacefully whispering words of encouragement to her which allowed Mana to release her wobbly grip and leap up with amazing athletics. The black widow then proceeded forward, stomping her feet hard against the already cracking concrete surface as she stormed forward with brutal ambitions, brushing past most of the others girl who saw the determination glow in Mana's eyes, leaving a slight draft to hit them hard and make the girls shiver. Faster and harder her steps grew, until eventually Mana screech herself to a halt, almost similar to how the bus did as the other girls swore they saw smoke coming from underneath Mana's footwear. She paused, enduring the slight ache she felt in her tiring legs from the unusual walk as Mana tilted her head downwards and sloped her eyes down with it as she leered at the sensible girl who was lost in an abyss of confusion as something warm and cuddly smudged itself within her arms. Mana sighed as the image she saw was a rather fond one that she, similar to Ayaka, didn't want to break apart because of how heart warming it was.

Stood before her, nervously slouched down in a disfigured pose as her perished legs were barely able to keep straight as the haunting shadow of Mana overlooked her and covered her in darkness, was the shy, purpled haired Nodoka, who didn't have a say in the matter to how her stance was as the quiet, emotional little girl named Akiras that they all recognised smudged her face into Nodoka's clothing around the waist while keeping a tight grasp with both her soft hands on Nodoka's frilly, silky skirt, slightly dragging Nodoka down. Distressing sniffles of sadness could be heard by both of them from Akiras who was fragilely hurt mentally from the separation from Evangeline…she didn't even get to say a proper goodbye, even if she knew that Evangeline hated that kind of stuff. However, Mana couldn't tell if it was her that put Akiras in a position to hide her face, or if it was the nauseating scents that lurked around them…if that was the reason, then Akiras was smart to hide her face into Nodoka's divine clothing, she always had a sweet scent that made anyone feel better. Truth be told, it could have been both reasons, Mana looked pretty scary when overlooking them both, Nodoka could agree as she felt a cold chill slither down her spine when the spiteful eyes of Mana first locked onto her.

"M-Mana…I-Is something wrong?" stuttered Nodoka's sweet, innocent voice as she curled one hand around Akiras, gently patting her palm against Akiras's back to comfort the tired, upset girl. Nodoka's drenched fringe mildly dangled in front of her forehead and partly her eyes, it made Mana wonder how Nodoka could even see at times.

"Nodoka, I need to see your Pactio card. Negi is in danger and I need to know as much as I can before making my move" straight forwardly informed Mana.

Nodoka's eyes sharply widened themselves open as she flinched to the sudden news. It startled her…she knew Negi was missing and it hurt her…but this, to know that Negi really was in danger frightened Nodoka to the point that it left her speechless for the first few seconds as she hesitated, opening her mouth but unable to speak "N-Negi sensei's in danger!" panicked Nodoka in a crippled voice "M-My card? R-Right!" she complexly agreed. The frantic girl suddenly moved like a flash of lightning…Mana could only guess that her concern for Negi was the source of Nodoka's impressing movements as she witnessed Nodoka's free hand to instantly drop like weights into her side pocket, as if she had memorized by heart where she had put her Pactio card. The truth was, Nodoka actually had. Her Pactio card was a treasure to her…not only was it a powerful item, it was visible proof of her official contract between her beloved Negi, and proof that they kissed, although, she rarely admitted it to anyone, with the exception of Yue, her best friend. As her quivering hand dug itself into her tight pocket, Nodoka's eyes lit up like a fire, glowing with certainty as she felt her numb fingertips take a gentle grip on the edge of a card shaped object. There was nothing else in her pocket, it must have been her card…no, the warmness of love it produced made Nodoka know it was her card.

It was as if Nodoka was a completely different person as she fiercely yanked her arm back up, tearing her hand and card through the contaminated winds until the card appeared in front of her beautiful face. Nodoka leered at the tightly grasped card, peering hard with worry while concerning thoughts passed through her intelligent mind, making the shy girl slightly daydream past events she had with Negi until eventually she sighed, noticeably lowering her hand and pushing it forward towards Mana "H-Here" Nodoka soothingly whispered, turning back into her usual self.

Mana caught a flicker of trust between them. She could easily see the worry on Nodoka's face, the willingness that she would do anything to get Negi back. Mana nodded with thankfulness and lifted her palm, taking a gentle grip on the corner of the sparkling card. While attempting to pull it away from Nodoka, the sense of resistance was felt at first as Nodoka was struggling to release her grip while Mana tugged at it…she wanted to help Negi, but this card was extremely special to her…if anything would happen to it, she wouldn't know how to react or what to do. Mana couldn't blame her though…after all, she once had her own active Pactio card…she knew how it felt to be given one, and to keep hold of it…not even she had given her card to anyone else before…and she still stands by her decision to this day, even if her card is deactivated, Mana wouldn't dare let another lay a finger on it.

Eventually though, Nodoka's resistance faded as she forced herself to release her grip, allowing Mana to take a proper hold as she brought it close to her face for further examination. Mana was met with a symbol of hope as her eyes scanned every last bit of detail of the card, including the impressive, pretty pose Nodoka was taking on the card itself, growing with confidence as the new discovery imprinted itself into Mana's mind while she began to speak "It's all there" whispered Mana to herself "Your name, the numerals, all the details are there" Mana lowered the card and made eye contact with Nodoka, given her a small but relieving smile "Your cards still active, which means Negi is still alive" cheerfully admitted Mana.

Nodoka perked up, changing her expressions from sorrow to a unique relieved expression "Really!" Nodoka called out with a hint of happiness "That's good!" cutely smiled Nodoka.

Mana hummed an agreeable tone "You can telepathically speak to him through this, right?" questioned Mana. She had never done it herself with her former partner, but the amount of times Negi's other partners had done it out in the open made it pretty obvious to her when she watched them.

"Ah! Y-Yes! I completely forgot about that!" admitted Nodoka with a spark of excitement, although, she had never properly done it before unlike some others such as Asuna and Setsuna.

"Can you see if you can contact him?" asked Mana, leaning forward and offering back Nodoka's Pactio card "He may be able to tell us where he is if you get through" she informed.

"Y-Yes!" Nodoka quickly swiped her card from Mana's steady hand with fortitude as she seemed ready to try it "Of course" accepted Nodoka _"I-I've never done this before! What do I do? I've seen Asuna do it once before and she made it seem easy! Uh…uh….what did she do? Uh, right! I remember her placing her card against her forehead and began speaking…Um…uh, o-ok…I can do that…it's easy" _Nodoka nervously thought to herself.

Slowly, Nodoka delicately brought up her fragile hand, bringing her Pactio card closer and closer. She notably lowered her dizzy head and dragged her eyelids down, closing her eyes as Nodoka attempted to empty her shrouded mind with everything that bothered her in hope that it would make it easier for her to connect and to communicate with the one she had strong feelings for…Negi. Her misty mind was fogged with frightening thoughts, both about past events and recent situations…but the more Nodoka concentrated…the more she told herself that by doing this, she would be helping and saving Negi…the easier to became for the shy, purple haired girl. Before she knew it, Nodoka felt the warm touch of her Pactio card gently hit her forehead, sending a tingling sensation of magic the surged throughout her entire shivering body, drastically warming her up with pleasure.

Nodoka felt as light as a feather. The touch of the concrete Nodoka's feet once felt disappeared, as if she was floating through space, hovering in a magical realm that felt real, but in reality never existed…it was just an illusion, one that Nodoka couldn't help but feel like was real. Her eyes opened with shock, and Nodoka suddenly heavily breathed as if she had just ran a marathon…but everything was different…Mana was gone, Akiras was gone, she couldn't feel the touch of her warm, little fingers tightly grasped on her legs…Nodoka just stood in a pit of darkness, unable to move or even blink properly while she continued to heavily breath, maintaining her last stance which was her with her Pactio card laying against her forehead. It was quiet…she was alone…it was as if her worst fears came true, and Nodoka couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness. She stood on darkness…she was surrounded by darkness…the sound even mimicked the nothingness of darkness…the only light source was the Pactio card that glowed brightly in her frozen palm, showing that it was active and communication with Negi was now possible. Nodoka gulped, attempting to seize a proper reaction before her panic kicked in. Her eyes tightly slammed shut, and Nodoka struggled to calm her breathing…she really did feel exhausted, more exhausted than what she felt back on the surface of the Earth…Nodoka could only assume that using magic in the state she was in made in even harder for her first try. Straightening up and taking a deep breathe in, Nodoka slowly opened her sticky lips as she began to speak "N-Negi…N-Negi sensei" It took a lot of effort to talk, exhausting Nodoka further and restarting her intense breathing before she could speak again "W-Where are you Negi? Please…w-we need you" gasped Nodoka with her last breathe.

She couldn't take anymore. With her remaining strength, Nodoka tore her glowing Pactio card away from her forehead and forcefully opened her eyes wide, breaking the magic realm and the communication between Negi's mind. Just like before, Nodoka heavily breathed in and out…but this time it was real as the first thing she saw was the curious face of Mana still looking down at her. She had returned…the warm finger tips of Akiras…the solid concrete beneath her feet…Nodoka felt relieved, while at the same time disappointed that she was unable to get a message back from Negi.

Nodoka frantically blinked with suspense, jerking her head from left to right to make sure she really was back. Her palm took a tighter grasp on the back of Akiras, pulling her even closer as she regained her breathe, calming down. Eventually, she aligned her site back with Mana, who had been leering at her the entire time…Nodoka really did look shocked and exhausted, it must have been a rueful experience…but there was no time to spare, as much as Mana hated to admit it, she had to keep pushing Nodoka for answers "How did it go?" Mana asked.

Still dazed, Nodoka didn't know how to respond. It was bad news…she didn't like admitting bad news…she never liked learning about bad news. It was a horrific nightmare for her. Nodoka's jaw opened, but no words came out, only sighs and sorrowful sounds of "Ah" and "Uh". Then, Nodoka tilted her head downwards, looking down at the ground with shame as she gave her response "I'm sorry Mana…I…I couldn't get a r-reply from him" Nodoka replied with a heart breaking tone, now she sounded ready to cry.

Mana cringed for a moment, but then realised how hard Nodoka was taking the news. She wasn't always the best when it came to comforting people, but she was going to take a stab at it "Don't worry" Mana lifted her arm and reached out her hand, gently patting it against Nodoka's left shoulder in an attempt to comfort her "We'll find him. Keep an eye on the card and inform me of any changes" comforted Mana.

Nodoka didn't react much. A simple nod of understandment and a sorrowful hum was all Mana got out of the shy, purple haired girl who showed no signs of happiness. Mana heavily sighed with verification, sloppily nodded back and began to turn, where she proceeded to walk with a heavy burden past the other girls until reaching the bus she had arrived in, and the entire time, the thought _"What should I do?" _played itself over and over like a record player in her head.

Slumping her heavy boot onto the first step of the bus entrance, Mana dragged herself over the next few steps until ending up beside Lilason again, who was still slouched in the drivers seat, enjoying the little relaxation time she had. The heavily equipped soldier turned, looking up at Mana and asking "So, what's happening?" to the black haired widow before her.

Mana didn't respond right away, nor did she turn to Lilason. Instead, she looked out at the other survivors and protectors still in the bus, all looking exhausted and on their last ounce of energy. She then growled at herself with frustration, before she finally spoke "Lilason, take the others to the headquarters. Kaede, Ku Fei, Zazie, Setsuna, were going to stay and find Negi" surprisingly explained Mana.

A wave of gasp's hit Mana like a tidal wave, as the sudden knowledge that Negi was missing hit them all hard. Lilason was the first to speak "What the hell are you talking about!" exclaimed Lilason.

"Negi-Kun is missing!" shouted Ku Fei.

"This is unexpected De Gozaro…" Kaede whispered to herself.

Before Mana could speak again, Lilason objected to the idea, jumping out of her seat with force where she stood behind Mana, breathing down her neck with annoyance "You said that you'd explain everything to me once we got to the headquarters. Now you want to take a few people back into the city we just tried so hard to escape just to find some kid! Do you have a death wish or something!" hissed Lilason.

Mana aggressively turned, where both her and Lilason matched it heights and they were face to face, leering at one another as they made it obvious that they had a problem with each other "He's not just a kid…" Mana's warm breathe smudged itself against Lilason's pale skin as she continued to speak "He's family…and I'm not going to leave him behind just like that" growled Mana.

The two of them stared one another down, creating an uncomfortable tension between them as they both had desires they would rather attend to, but at the same time, they didn't want to lose to each other. Suddenly, a weak, hurting voice caught both Mana and Lilason's attention. They both seeked out the source of the crackling voice, turning simultaneously until discovering the source as he continued to lightly speak.

"Mana…" softly whispered Takamichi as he hurtfully pulled himself upwards to get a better view to speak to them both "L-Lilason is right" he admitted, to Mana's disappointment "Negi…he…he can handle himself j-just fine for t-the time being. W-We can't take much more Mana…look at everyone" suggested Takamichi, achingly outstretching his open palm to direct Mana's view.

Following Takamichi's devastatingly trembling hand, it then suddenly hit Mana. She closely examined the tired girls and the damaged protectors…they could barely stay awake…a lot of them had been frightened to death…Kaede and Ku Fei were covered in cuts and scratches that needed treating…Setsuna couldn't take her conscious off Konoka's safety, even if she was harshly bruised herself…even Takamichi could barely move…and she was to obsessed with finding Negi to notice it.

Takamichi continued to speak with his weak, fading voice "Mana…I k-know you don't want to h-hear this…but we need to retreat…w-we need to rejuvenate ourselves…we need r-rest and food and water…even you yourself need sleep. I'm not s-saying were going to a-abandon him, I'm just suggesting we p-prepare ourselves…r-remember, this is N-Negi were talking about, he's going to be f-fine" explained Takamichi.

"How can you be so sure!" questioned Mana, slightly dazed that she hadn't noticed all this earlier.

"Y-You just have to trust Mana…b-but do what you feel is necessary" informed Takamichi, who slumped himself back onto the seat.

"Whatever you decide, I shall follow De Gozaru" loyally noted Kaede.

"Me too, I'm not going to miss out" grinned Ku Fei, trying to support Mana.

"_W-What I feel is necessary?" _wondered Mana, who slowly stumbled back with overwhelming thoughts. Even after commanding her fellow classmates to follow her into a suicidal mission, they were still loyal…they still trusted Mana… "There is only one thing I can do…" admitted Mana as she turned to the aggravated, but flattered Lilason, who could easily guess the answer Mana was about to give through the crude expressions she made towards her.

* * *

**Monday - 9:51AM - Location Unknown**

It was dark…too dark. The last thing he remembered was a flash from something unexplainable before feeling the impact of brutally hitting a concrete road that nearly killed the young mage. He didn't know where he was…he didn't know how long he had been out for…he didn't even know his condition…but finally…Negi awoke from his peaceful yet undesired slumber after what felt like an eternity. The young, damaged mage painfully opened his twitchy eyes for the first time in days after having some form of sleep, but it wasn't a feeling of rejuvenation, oh no…it felt much worse. Only slightly shuddering his sticky eyes open to take a peek at his surroundings, Negi was hurtfully blinded by the little bright light smearing itself through the cracks of heavily boarded up windows that he was facing in the position he woke up in…his pupils quickly constricted as the furious burning sensations eerily stung every inch of his eye sockets for the few seconds they endured the exposed light. Negi submissively moaned in pain, unable to do nothing else but tolerate the pain he was receiving from not just his stinging eyes, but many, many other sources located around certain parts of his body. The entire time, nothing but the sound of a constantly ticking clock was heard on a nearby dusty desk as the ticking pounded and bursted into Negi's already blistering, aching head, growing louder with each tick and greatly irritating the horrendously feeling young mage.

The feeling of the cold, dampness of the slowly rotting wooden floorboards made it obvious to the young mage that he had been cast aside and violently slumped harshly onto the floor without a care as he felt his badly torn clothes absorbed the wetness of the soft, murky wood and become uncomfortably moist. His wet clothes had managed to rub themselves against Negi's fragile, bare skin, creating sore blisters that painfully grew while he was unconscious…Negi could only guess that he had moved around a lot while asleep…he did remembering having a horrific nightmare which involved him witnessing the death of his students one by one, that could have had something to do with the motioned movements. Even so, the nightmare itself was enough suffering he could take…all the minor injuries he now had was just adding icing to the cake of torture. After many attempts, Negi could finally fully open his eyes, giving him a full view and allowing Negi to examine his surroundings. He was in what appeared to be a fancy dinning room that had all it's posh furniture pushed to one side and turned into heavy barricades that blocked the sealed windows and a door that had appeared to have been smashed in from the outside as bits of wood hung from the doorways hinges and sharp fragments were scattered across the already damp, rotting floors he laid on.

Bright red marks glazed themselves around the badly bruised neck of Negi as it sickly glowed vindictively…the marks were in the form of familiar tipsy fingers that Negi recognised…no, that he remembered…the vicious markings had been furiously created by Kotaro's roughly textured palm as the possessed Inugami had literally choked him the entire time with spiteful intentions. As well as the burning sensations around his neck, the awry feelings of scorching stings and blazing blistering on his back made it obvious to the young mage that he had serious wounds on his back. Deep cuts and hurtful grazing was scattered across Negi's prickly back from when he and Kotaro collided and hit the hard concrete ground together once being sadistically pushed off the speeding bus by The Virus…it felt like the tip of a thousand needles were poking themselves at his bare skin…he couldn't see it himself, but the serious wounds had produced a hefty amount of blood that had become dry and stained itself onto the skin that was luckily left unharmed, but the chilling drafts soaring through gaps of the broken glass and brushed itself against his torn apart back was the equivalent of salt being rubbed into his back as it only made the pain worse and barely bearable…barely.

The eerie air was filled with disgusting dust and made Negi want to sneeze…the problem with that was breathing hurt his throat every time he inhaled and exhaled the rotting scents around him…sneezing would literally force him to cough up blood from his healing throat, which he didn't want as he had already lost a significant amount from before when on the bus with the madman known as Tankins…or now formally known as The Virus. The moment of awakening, Negi had already seen and felt enough to want to escape from the dark pit of despair he was in…the knowledge that he had been separated from hi students while the monstrous creature known as The Virus was still with them gave Negi a reason to escape…it gave him courage, determination, and most of all, strength to awaken and move. Unfortunately, to Negi's unknowing knowledge that was he about to find out…there was a problem. As Negi began to struggle, rolling himself around the floor and moving like a fish out of water, the young mage discovered that his wrists and ankles had been sorely tied together by thick, rough textured rope that had been grating itself against his pale skin, creating burn marks that sorely dug themselves deeper into his ankles and wrists. Any attempt to move or escape would hinder the rope to dig in further, stinging the already burning skin it laid upon. Further inspection gave Negi the knowledge that his mouth had been narcissistically taped shut as an eerie feeling of stickiness surrounded his trapped mouth every time his wobbly jaw attempted to move as he tried to speak, only to miserably fail.

Thump. The sudden sound made Negi skip a heart beat with suspense as it sounded all too much like a haunting footstep. Another thump, this time louder and closer. Even though it hurt severely, Negi repeatedly gulped with nervousness as he hassled himself to twist his body around, turning himself by forcefully pushing his damaged body off the ground and slightly rotating himself a few inches in mid air before thumping back onto the damp ground like dropped weights. Halfway through the process, the thumping footsteps unexpectedly stopped…and Negi could feel a cold, grisly stare burn deep into his splintered back and look down upon him with vengeful desires. But Negi didn't stop, even with the discomforting feeling of being watched…because he knew, stopping now would do nothing, and it certainly wouldn't help his students who in hid mind needed saving. Almost now fully turned, the floorboards beside Negi suddenly anxiously creaked, and the warm, disturbing exhales scarily covered the side of Negi's swollen neck which made everything quite clear to Negi…whatever had been watching him was now kneeling down beside him, sickly exhaling it's warm but rotten breath onto him with desire. One last turn. Thump was the sound heard as Negi's numb body hit the wooden floorboards one last time. He was now facing the manipulative figure before him as he cringed his eyes with pain, receiving a blurry, dark image at first while Negi slowly adjusted his eyesight as they sorely widened before the blurriness went away. The figure revealed itself with open arms, as if wanting to be discovered as it exposed itself to Negi. It was of course…the badly bruised Kotaro…it was of course…The First.

Kneeling down with a perfectly balanced stance, Kotaro's leering eyes glowed a blood red colour of insanity as the Hanyo boy gruellingly smiled of a grin of disturbance, showing of Kotaro's razor sharp teeth that could tear through anything…including flesh. The sinister black patterns that stained themselves on Kotaro's scarred face had managed to grow even darker and larger as the wicked lines connected from his eye sockets to his mouth squirmed around as the virus itself travelled through him from vein to vein, leaving the source it was produced which was the brain as it used the eyes as its beginning point before churning further into the body of Kotaro, travelling through the mouth and eventually ending up down the throat. What took the most of Negi's attention were the deep cuts located all around Kotaro's grisly face from the horrible impact of hitting the concrete floor from earlier…but what disturbed Negi the most was that inbetween the cuts was the slimy, black virus itself, filling in the wounds as it rapidly helped speed up the repairs needed with it's enhanced cells to The First's precious host. Further inspection showed the exact same thing to other parts of Kotaro's body that had deep cuts and scratches…the evidence of foul play was obvious as Kotaro's torn clothes showed it, but it wounds themselves were quickly disappearing.

Kotaro's head motionlessly swerved back and forth, examining Negi's terrible condition from head to toe with humour while his glowing red eyes remained on nothing but the young mage himself. Still smiling, Kotaro slightly poked his tongue out childishly as The First began to implicitly speak "Ahhh" The First contagiously exhaled "Awake at last…" narcissistically whispered The First. Kotaro then pushed himself off the ground, where he slyly turned and hummed a frightening rhythm as he sloppily took a few steps forward before suddenly stopping "Don't you find it funny…" There was a short pause as the sound of Kotaro exhaling with quiet laughter was heard "That no matter how much you plan…it never goes accordingly?" devilishly snickered The First, referring to the plan Mana and the others had come up with earlier. Then, without warning, Kotaro's body viciously turned in anger and Negi witnessed the smirk of Kotaro sink into an aggressive frown "Because I don't…" hissed The First.

Negi couldn't help but see The First as being insane…first he laughed at his own question, then he answered his own question with a completely negative response that countered his laughter he made just seconds earlier. Truth be told though, Negi saw The First as being insane ever since this all started. Kotaro shifted his body to the left, where he began walking to the side as he began to speak again "I know what you're thinking…boy" Kotaro's head disturbingly tilted sideways, looking back over at Negi with his returned grin "Why…why haven't I killed you yet?" ghastly exhaled The First with pleasure "Why I let my biggest threat live?" There was a short pause "I never intended on this boy…this…lets call it… a predicament that we have both been cursed with…unfortunately" Kotaro suddenly froze as The First deviously glared down at the hurting Negi with an unpleasant expression at his problematic frown struck fear into anyone…even Negi "You see…I don't know whether I have a gift…or a menace currently intertwining with my plans…I don't know if you could hurt them, or help them…I don't even know if you should live…or die" the last few words croaked with misery out of Kotaro's fragile mouth as Negi witnessed the Hanyo boy stumble forward, getting closer to him "On one hand, I have you…I have the very reason to why The Virus is still willing to keep being a burden to me in my possession…but on the other hand, the very reason I am still willing to become a burden to you are now currently escaping the city with the creature that dare opposes me without a proper host to equally challenge me!" Kotaro's foot suddenly stomped the ground hard with anger "It sickens me…" whispered The First with disappointment.

The Hanyo boy sneakily slithered away, slowly backing away whilst looking at Negi the entire time. Eventually, Kotaro's numb body instantly turned, where he began approaching the boarded up window with prejudice until freezing himself a few inches away from the weak window that boarded up the cracked glass. Kotaro's glowing red eyes peered through the gaps, looking out to the open world before him…and then…nothing. Everything went blank. Kotaro just stood there, leering through the gaps in the boarded up window as his eyes managed to endure the direct light smearing through the glass…but what concerned Negi the most was that the glass wasn't becoming foggy with condensation…Kotaro wasn't breathing. Moments passed and still nothing…until a sudden tut whistled out of Kotaro's dry lips as The First made his living host deeply inhale the oxygen needed before speaking "Their not coming for you boy…" informed The First in a calm manner, still looking out the window "Just like the selfish, boring humans they are…their not coming to get you" hissed The First "And that's the problem…they're leaving the city with The Virus on their tails with prejudice" Kotaro strictly turned, slapping his palm against the thinning air as he outstretched his arm "Do you know what this means!" The First trembled Kotaro's battered body closer, where eventually he kneeled down in the same position as before, besides Negi "The Virus isn't as willing as me boy…It isn't as forgiving…the first chance it gets…the mentally unstable abomination will transition itself into the most powerful host around and slaughter every single one of them…it will torture them just to amuse itself" horrifically explained The First…Negi found it hard to believe that The First was calling The Virus a mentally unstable abomination when it should be calling itself that though…but The First did have a point…it was more reasonable and forgiving to them than The Virus was.

Kotaro turned away with disgust and began to silently walk the opposite direction "You see…we" Kotaro began patting his chest hard with pride "We…are not so different boy" admitted The First as it paused for a moment to think up it's next sentence "I have been watching over you…more than what your pathetic father Nagi Springfield ever did" harshly insulted The First, using Kotaro's knowledge of Negi's father to it's advantage "I can see the anger you have towards The Virus and me…I can see the concern you have for those unbearable beings you call 'friends' glisten in your confused human mind…I find it humorous to how you can still trust such beings after experiencing the betrayal they gave you…" Then, there was a long, discomforting pause as The First stared at the wall…only moments later did it speak "But that's what I like about you…" it whispered "You're different…you're willing to try the impossible…you provide eenntteerrttaaiinnmmeenntt" deviously exhaled The First with pleasure, stretching out the word 'entertainment'.

Without Negi even noticing it, Kotaro had managed to sneak his way to the doorway with the broken hinges, where the Hanyo boy eerily twisted his aching necked, looking over his shoulder and cunningly smirking with evilness as his glowing red eye almost blinded Negi "If The Virus wont come to me…I'll bring the fight to him…and to all your cowardly 'friends' that dared oppose me" Kotaro's head twisted itself back, where his eyesight directed themselves through the doorway and leaving Negi the image of the back of Kotaro's head "However, you're too dangerous to be left alone…I wont let you out of my sight…" unexpectedly, Kotaro took a step to the side, giving access to the doorway while the Hanyo boy subtly turned back to Negi "During my absence…I experimented on some of my beautiful undead" Kotaro sighed with excitement "Could you imagine…an army of undead that were better than the original…that were enhanced, like me, only slightly weaker? That had their own personality! Hahaha…that's right boy…during the experiment…I injected the slightest ounce of my superior virus into my beloved undead…they are far superior to the average creature…and they each have their own personality…and I control every aspect of them…let me introduce you to my pets that will hunt down and kill not only The Virus…but your 'friends' too" snickered Kotaro.

Suddenly, the sound of sticky, blood covered footsteps could be heard approaching the doorway…and eventually Negi could only watch in horror as six disfigured creatures once known as original undead slowly staggered their way into the room, each looking unique in their own way with not only personalities…but appearances too…and the entire time, the inhumane sound of The First's insane laughter echoed around them as it began to speak "There's no escaping The First, my enhanced undead will hunt you down one by one and skim you alive…it's only a matter of time before the screams are heard…it's only a matter of time before the blood spills…for I am here…and here I am" exhaled The First with pleasure

* * *

**Here's chapter 21 for your enjoyment!**

**I found it rather troublesome to keep The First in character while at the same time trying to keep his words true and understandable...I think the second last paragraph when Kotaro was explaining intorducing his new creatures was a bit rushed, but at least I managed to get it done!**

**What is the choice Mana picked when it came to leaving or saving Negi! And even worse, what are these new, improved creatures that The First was so excited about! **

**Any reviews will be appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	22. Undesired Introductions

**I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story**

**Monday - 9:51AM - Location Unknown**

Very sticky and very bloody footprints now painted themselves along the weak, damp wooden floorboards that Negi laid on, where they stained the eerier, rotten brownness of the planks with a mutilated dark red colour of gruesomeness that faintly glowed as traces of the virus surge through the still barely working blood cells, quickly dimming with each passing second as the bacteria and temperature of the marred, tormented atmosphere slowly killed the infectious liquid. Without a host, it was vulnerable to the most simple things…however, although simple they may be, they are extremely effective to something as delicate as the virus when exposed to the outside world. The blood prints also bubbled as if been boiled, making it obvious that the virus was similar to acid and as dangerous as it when in a state of emergency…it could be the intelligent liquids way of screaming for help, or it could be a last resort to harm anything around it…but either way, it wasn't working, to the thoughtless virus's demise. What Negi found strange about it the most though was that The First, who was only inches away, could witness the destruction…the torture of it's former self that had been split apart and still resisted the urge to turn away or to absorb the little liquid that was available to end it's suffering…but instead…the mysterious creature just watched, and the entire a time, a smirk of pleasure was planted on the sadistic creatures awry face that once belonged to Kotaro Inugami…a smirk that Negi remembered…a smirk that was hard to forget…a smirk that wouldn't go away.

Joined with the constant ticking sound from the working clock on the nearby dusty desk that worryingly had a splatter of bright red, healthy blood scattered across it, the only other sounds that could be heard were the obvious snickers blurting out of Kotaro's mouth with joy and the ghastly inhales and exhales from the six disfigured undead creatures that had supposedly been enhanced by The First itself…together, the dire sounds echoed around the concealed room, never seeming to dimmer or escape. Anxious wheezes sniffled up the narcissistic creatures decaying, bloody nostrils, as if they could smell the young mage before them, where shortly after, sickly groans and moans escaped the lost creatures slightly open but crooked mouths, releasing a stomach churning, foul stench into the air the more they exhaled the little breathe in their mouth with a unnoticed struggle. The scent of the room quickly changed from a relatively pinecone smelling atmosphere to a body decaying, wood rotting, mutilating blood stench which was all created in a matter of minutes once the undead creatures had entered the unstable room. The undead had poor eyesight, Negi knew that, but when it came to smell and sound, they were to not be underestimated…he knew they could hear his heavy breathing…he knew they could smell the dry blood still stained on his open wounds and skin…Negi couldn't help but admit that he was impressed with The First for being able to hold back the lustful creatures, because truth be told, the vicious monsters looked ready to pounce at him as their pale eyes all leered down at the young mage while blood infested saliva dripped from their slimy, oddly coloured tongues and gnarled down their torn faces, dripping and slithering down to their chin where it slipped off and slumped itself to the already wet floor with stickiness, barely missing Negi, to his relief.

The six restrained undead aggressively maintained a twisted stance as they slowly but manually positioned themselves in an unbalanced straight line right beside The First and a few feet away from Negi. Barely conscious was the first few words that came to Negi's aching mind as he frightfully examined the suffering creatures one by one, taking long pauses for each of them and using his strained eyes that clearly had exhausted bags under them and thick, red lines of blood stretching thin from his dilated pupil to the edges of his eye to scan and memorise the horrific looks of the undead before him…something was wrong…they looked different. Each one of the six undead had an unusual personalisation added to it…and they looked fresh…newly made…as if The First wanted them to be recognised as different…to be recognised as enhanced…to know which one was after you. It made Negi's hearts skip a few beats with fear as the new looks frightened him in so many ways…they looked like more than monsters now…any trace of once being human was now shredded to pieces by the changes…and Negi knew that these creatures would be going after his students…he knew that the enhanced being before him that have similar strength and knowledge to The First, and even have their own personality…will be hunting down the ones he swore to protect. And the worst part about it was…Negi actually knew they had a chance to succeed after all that's happened…and that's what sparked the fear deep within.

Startled with realisation to the truth of what could happen if he continued to lay there and do nothing, Negi began to roll around on the spot, twisting his body left and right along the damp floorboards in a panicky state as his blistered wrists and ankles started to fiercely rub themselves against the waves of tape that had been wrapped around his bare skin over and over again heftily as he struggled to break free, creating friction every second that past as he tried harder and faster, attempting to tear the thick tape or at least slip out of it…but to his demise, failed miserably. The entire time, Negi harshly singed his teeth into the sticky tape, breaking the first few layers until they could go no further and keeping themselves deeply dug in as he tried to block out the immense pain that burned around not only his wrists and ankles, but also the cuts, scratches and bruises on his back and stomach that all made contact with the wet , splintered floor as he rolled around which encouraged the wounds to hurtfully. Alas, it was no use…Negi was just too drained…too tired and exhausted…too wounded, both physically and mentally, at the moment, escape was impossible…and even if he did escape, what was he suppose to do exactly? The First and six of it's enhanced delinquents were staring at him with amusement, ready to strike at anytime…if anything, Negi was trapped for the time being _"I-If only I had m-my staff…I-If only I could c-c-chant my s-spells!" _Negi sorely thought to himself…his aching head was so bad that it hurt to think.

Kotaro's mild sniffles turned into barely controllably laughter as The First watched the suffering Negi went through and endured…it saw a gleam in Negi's eye that told it exactly what it wanted to know…that it's new enhanced minions brought fear and worry to him "Admirable…aren't they?" exhaled Kotaro's croaky voice with pleasure as the young Hanyo boy let his tongue hang out and lay against Kotaro's red lower lip…it was drenched with blood, saliva and the virus, all mixed together "These aren't just useless undead…boy" Slyly, Kotaro began circling around the enhanced creatures beside him, moving like a snake and slithering past and inbetween them "No no no…these aren't one of those mindless beings that wandered the streets…the roads…no…you see…these six" there was a short pause as The First glared at it's glorious creations "…These six are important…they have meaning to me" snarled Kotaro. Eventually the possessed Hanyo boy froze, standing behind the middle undead creature that was the only female of the group…at least, that's what Negi's could make out from his prospective. Negi watched as Kotaro curled both his arms around the female undead, gently placing one hand against the hip of the disfigured undead whilst positioning his other hand along her bloody cheek, where he proceeded to stroke the girls rough, flaky skin until eventually taking a harsh grip on the undead's jaw, as if trying to make it clear that she was the one The First wanted Negi to pay attention to "She's beautiful" lightly sighed Kotaro with a hint of lust "And she is the most important to me" admitted The First as it forced a smile onto Kotaro…however, Negi could see that the smile wasn't evil…it really did have meaning "Did that infuriating girl tell you my story? Back at the library? What was her name…Mana" a lot of emphasis was put on Mana's name as The First had trouble pronouncing it, mainly because it made it feel sick calling a human by it's name "Did she tell you what happened…at the labs…how I became to be?" Kotaro's smile twitched as the memories haunted The First "Did she tell you about…the test subject…the girl" Kotaro exhaled again with pleasure, and Negi mildly gasped as he immediately realised who The First was referring to "That's right…this precious being I hold now was the first human I ever bit…the first human I infected…back in the labs…when they offered her to me…she's glorious…beautiful… elegant…I may have been The First…but if not for her, the virus would have never spread…I am The First…but she is The Beginning" humorously chuckled The First.

Momentarily regaining his breathe after tiring himself out from the failed escape attempt, Negi could only watch and examine the once innocent woman that The First had forcefully thrived into insanity once being bitten…her image was…nauseating…to say the least. Negi loudly gulped, attempting to keep the woozy feeling of sickness from uprising through his throat as a mixture of blood and other eerie wastes were easily noticeable at the back of his windpipe, and being sick now wasn't the best idea as he still had tape across his mouth. But, the entire time, he couldn't take his eyes of the poorly looking woman as the image printed itself onto his mind…becoming memorable…staining his intelligence with horror. How could The First find this…abomination…beautiful? That's the thought that cycled itself around Negi's head as he had trouble focusing properly on what was important, escape.

The Woman…the abomination…or as The First referred to her as…The Beginning…motionlessly stood a few feet away from Negi, looking rather unbalanced as her legs trembled and slightly bent down for support with weariness. The wheezing she produced sounded the sickest of them all, as the tone of the inhales and exhales would repeatedly lower or raise itself uncontrollably whilst the weak but easily detectable groans of suffering screeched harshly and blistered Negi's ears…but to The First, it was music to Kotaro's ears. From below the neck, nothing but the gruesome image of the woman's thin, garnished skin that glowed an ailing green colour of rottenness was seen as the underweighted undead's bones were clearly visible through the thinning skin, explicitly revealing printed images of her ribcage around her chest as the girls dead skin laid against it, looking just about ready to tear with the slightest movements. Barely attached to her swinging shoulders were the girls madly shaking arms, which had clear signs of foul play as clearly marked cuts, scratches, bruises and even needle injections were clearly visible…and what worried Negi the most was that they were still bleeding…she was still suffering. Further along her arms were the still active veins which glistened bright with blackness as the virus flowed through them, transferring itself from one point to the other. Eventually, Negi's blurry eyesight ended up at the end of the arms…but that was the problem…it really did end at the arms. There was no hand. Instead, Negi's eyes widened even further and the churning in his stomach increased when he witnessed what had replaced the hand…it was a blade. The blood covered blade was almost as long as the girls wounded arm itself as the tip of it scraped itself along the damp floorboard, producing agitating scratching sounds which even bothered The First at times. The blade appeared to have been surgically attached as stitching could be seen from where the end of the arm and the start of the blade meet…it didn't look pretty, as blood still dripped from minor openings from where some stitches and staples had been broken or unfinished, but even so, the blade was still sturdy and manageable…barely. What was strange about it though was that it was only one arm had been altered, as the woman's other hand was still attached and looked rather healthy.

"Quite an accessory…wouldn't you agree…boy?" exhaled The First grisly, still holding the undead woman in the same position. From the amount of time Negi took looking at the blade, it found it obvious what stunned the young mage the most "It was back when I still had my old host…the one you destroyed" hissed The First "Back then my beloved creatures were still…in development" A short pause was made as Kotaro slither his hand from the undead's hip to the blade, taking a hurtful grasp and making the undead slightly snarl "I learned that the minority of drugs that had been injected into her had caused an infection on her left hand…gangrene was the name of the infection…too much of her tissue had decayed because of the drugs poisoning her blood source and my virus was unable to battle such a unique infection that had been enhanced by drugs such as steroids and repair the tissues at the same time…so I had no choice but to remove the hand which contained the infection" Kotaro deviously snickered as he began licking his bright red lips "Using the knowledge of the scientists and doctors I managed to obtain, I surgically reattached a sharp blade that could cut through anything…" There was another pause as Kotaro deeply inhaled through his teeth "And here we are now…" sickly exhaled The First with pleasure.

The explanation overwhelmed Negi as he immediately swayed his eyesight away from the stomach churning attached blade which was drenched with blood. He ended up aligning his eyesight with the undead woman, where both locked onto one another and stared deeply into their eyes. The undead woman's long, dirty hair, which was a mixtured colour of blonde, grey and black, messily slumped over her shoulders whilst her fringe dangle around in front of her eyes, similar to how Nodoka styled her hair. Negi stared into the motionless undead's bright white eyes, noticing that the once sane woman no longer had pupils…he could only guess that for being an undead for so long, the lifeless pupil eventually disintegrated as the virus ate away at it…after all, all the other undead he had seen had fading pupils as well, it would make sense. Negi eventually pulled away, disgusted, catching a glimpse of a large scar that deeply cut the right side of the undead woman's forehead to the left side of her cheek while doing so. It was one scar…as if a sword had been slashed diagonally on her face…just what did those scientists do to her.

Kotaro angrily frowned as The First watched Negi turn away…it wanted Negi to acknowledge it's family…it didn't want it hard work to go unnoticed…it wanted to see more of Negi's exciting expressions of desperation that it fed off…that it enjoyed "As for the others…" sighed Kotaro, attempting to regain Negi's attention "You have met the beauty of my creations…but let me introduce you to my next one…my most respected one…" hissed The First. Kotaro eagerly sidestepped to the left, where only moments later did he stand behind the next enhanced undead "You see…I…respect this one, much like I respect you…" openly admitted The First, grinning "This one was the first human to ever show resilience…to fight back against not only my minions…but to me myself…to attempt the impossible…to provide me entertainment" Kotaro then suddenly snickered "Of course…I easily disposed of him with pleasure like I did with any other pathetic human I have come in contact with…but to show such courage…he is rare…this human sparked my interest in him…and he would make a valuable asset to my minions" grinned Kotaro "Look at him…what do you sssseeeee" eerily hissed Kotaro.

Negi, although knowing he would regret his decision to look, did exactly that. Hesitantly jerking his head upwards as he forced his worn out eyes to stretch themselves along with it, Negi could accurately examine the undead creature before him in detail. It looked the biggest of them all…but not by much, as it's gnarly greenish, degrading skin showed signs of thinning whilst glimpses of bones could be seen poking out of the edges of the rotting body, making an almost clear outline through the weakening skin and barely becoming visible when up close. However, thin and vulnerable it may have been, there was one unique personalization that Negi noticed and analysed without any troubles… the muscles. Across the beefy but decomposing arms and legs of the undead, which had viciously torn, ripped pieces of flesh hanging off by a thread, were overly large lumps that glowed a marred black colour as watery veins that contained the enhanced virus throbbed hard along them…they were muscles, muscles of an already strengthened human that caught the attention of the newly injected liquid and encouraged it to focus enhancing the strength of the undead creature further…making it stronger…making it more aggressive…making it almost unstoppable when it came to force, weight, might and power. However…it didn't end there, to Negi's horror. Running his eyes along the beastly monsters ridiculously treated arms, Negi eventually ended up looking at the face of the creature…or so he was expecting. The sight brought more fear to Negi's eyes with a hint of confusion to the image. It wasn't a face…instead, what appeared to be a piece of brown, rusty metal that had one hole carved out on the undead's left eye was disturbingly attached to the face of the barely standing creature as nothing but a blood red colour brightly glistened through the open eyehole…and it glared at Negi…it glared at him with hatred. What's more, further inspection by Negi revealed that the rotten skin of the undead mans face was stretching outwards as it sickly stuck to the iron mask...ask if it had been super glued…or to The First's knowledge…welded on by fire. The First had literally melted the mans face to the iron mask with deceiving desires, and it sent a white chill down Negi's spine with commotion when he eventually realised it. The First may have been reasonable…but it really was sick…it really was insane.

Slyly, Kotaro creepily slipped past the iron masked undead, crazily twitching one eye with humour as he silently dragged his feet along the damp floorboards, wryly approaching Negi with a sinister smile "Your expressions reveal sssooo much" exhaled Kotaro, hissing the word 'so' to gain Negi's attention "After I was finished with him…he was in a delicious state of torture and suffering…" Kotaro gulped with satisfaction as he could taste the pain "Lets just say I left him…fleshless" the last word he said dramatically toned up in pitch as a hint of cheerfulness was detected "I decided to burn what remained of his skin onto a mask of iron…doesn't he look….rueful?" smirked Kotaro. The Hanyo boy looked overly excited, as if he was a child just anticipating a new toy to play with, fidgetting around, unable to stop his dramatic movements as he swayed from left to right, uncontrollably twitching until eventually Kotaro ended up inches away from Negi, where he dropped down like weights, kneeling beside Negi whilst giving him a worrying glare of satisfaction "Yesssssss…." ghastly sighed The First "I can see it…" a short paused was produced as weary chuckles blurted out of Kotaro's dry lips "I can see the worry…the fear that builds up inside of you…but I also see one more question" the last few words deepened in tone, making Kotaro sound truly disappointed "You're wondering why their not reacting…aren't you boy? Why my precious treasures aren't showing their personalities" Kotaro damply sighed again, where he jerked his head around and slightly peeked over his shoulder and leered at the last undead to the right, before fazing himself as he instantly turned back to Negi in a frenzy state "Let me show you…" The First exhaled with pleasure.

Eagerly, Kotaro violently twisted himself on the spot, still kneeling down, creating a few wet, bone cracking sounds while doing so as his footwear scraped along the wet floorboards, producing eerie squeegee sounds that reminded Negi too much about blood while Kotaro's battered body turned towards the same undead he had just stared at moments earlier "As of now…I currently control every aspect of these miraculous creatures…their pets on a leash…obedient pets" grimly snickered The First "They obey me" it simply admitted as it curiously twisted it's neck and looked down at Negi again, making sure the young mage was paying attention "Watch what happens to my furthest minion on the right" smirked Kotaro, who slowly began raising his motionless hand as Kotaro's middle finger and thumb poked out, tensely pushing against each other and creating immense friction. As Negi switched his sight back and forth between Kotaro's hand and the undead creature, the sadistic image of Kotaro sticking his tongue out with pleasure fazed the young mage as he witnessed Kotaro's head turn back to the undead creature.

Snap. The sudden sound was heard as Kotaro's middle finger and thumb sliced through the friction and air, sparking the clicking sound which made Negi flinch for the first few seconds within hearing it. Immediately after, the snapping sound was engulfed by an uncontrollably laughter coming from the undead both he and Kotaro grisly glared at. The creature laughed and laughed, never seeming to tire, acting as a hyena would and chuckling hysterically at nothing while black, watery tears came to the undead's darkened eyes, never seeming to stop, never looking like it could stop. Kotaro very slowly churned him head back around to Negi, almost hypnotised by the insane laughter that had yet to cease "As you can see…" Kotaro's grin managed to grow, if it were possible as he nudged his head towards the laughing undead "This one took my humorous side" snarled Kotaro as The First then joined in with the laughter, almost matching and syncing their tone and rhythm perfectly with one another.

The longer it went on, the louder the laughter got. And it was hurting Negi's hearing…but he could only endure it for the time being. Then, shockingly, without warning, the laugher of The First dispersed and was replaced with angry grunts as the still hovering hand of Kotaro thrusted downwards, slapping his palm over Negi's nose and taped mouth with force and making it impossible for the young mage to breathe. The moment his sense of smell disappeared, and the wondrous feeling of breathing suddenly faded, Negi used the strength he had been building up while resting to start straggling around, panicking, flopping around on the floor like a fish out of the water as he glared into the insane eyes of Kotaro while the Hanyo boys teeth viciously showed as he cringed, heavily breathing with anger "Why aren't you laughing boy!" screeched Kotaro through the teeth "Why aren't you impressed boy!" fiercely shouted Kotaro as he watched Negi gag for air. Spit flew through his razor sharp teeth when Kotaro deeply exhaled, landing on the slowly fading Negi who was still fighting back, trying to suck in any air that was available…only to fail. Kotaro's forceful hand wildly quivered with uneasiness as even The First felt uncertain to its actions as Kotaro's rough skin hurtfully dug deeper into Negi's panting nostrils. Kotaro's head madly shook, quickly turning a bright red colour of effort as he slowly looked over his shoulder, calming down while doing so as his breathing slowed and as his dilated pupils restricted "Find them…" whispered Kotaro "Kill them…kill them all" he eerily exhaled to the undead watching from afar as the Hanyo boy mildly turned back.

Negi was now struggling. His vision was blurring…his movements were slowing down and tiring…it was only a matter of time before the unthinkable happened, and The First knew it whilst keeping the same tight grip even after calming down "That…that w-wwas another side of me…boy…it likes to come out every o-once in a while…I n-never had these p-problems before in my other host…" Kotaro then looked further down, looking at his own chest while madly twitching "Yessss…it must be this host…" his head swerved upwards again, leering into Negi's fading eyes "Don't underestimate me boy…I know what you're capable off…this host knows aaaalllll about you" snickered The First "It wont be so simple" gasped Kotaro, releasing his grip of Negi and he thrusted his hand away, turning it into a fist. However, only seconds later after hearing Negi take his first deep inhale of the air he so badly needed, The First forced Kotaro's fist downwards, slamming it into Negi's vulnerable face with mighty force and knocking the young, wounded mage unconscious.

"This conversation is over…" sighed Kotaro as he began running his dripping tongue along the knuckles that just punched Negi "For now…" it sinisterly grinned.

* * *

**Monday - 9:59AM - The Highway - School Buses # 1 and 2**

It was dead silent. The feeling of sorrow surrounded them…it loathed them. The soothing humming of the tiring engine from the two separate, damaged school buses synchronised as the worn down, fabricated seats tensely vibrated with a hint of relaxation, and although extremely upset, some of the surviving members of class 3-A couldn't help but doze off in the middle of the crises they all suffered…but then again, none of them felt remorse towards those that did somehow manage to drown themselves into a slumber whilst tears streamed from their young, weeping eyes…they had been through so much. The First…The Virus…the undead…the horrific experience of learning that some students from class 3-A hadn't made it…and now Negi. It amazed people like Lilason and Mana, who were both mentally and physically prepared for shocks such at those, that the others had managed to make it this far without going insane and surviving, let alone not getting some sleep. The wrecked school buses that were covered in blood had conveniently slowed down since the last time they were moving. If anything, Lilason was amazed beyond recognition that they were still drivable after what the buses themselves had been through. Huge holes through the roofs, smashed windows, even the worn down tyres that maintained themselves throughout the increasing speeds and endured the rough surfaces had managed to prevent popping or tearing off…Lilason referred to almost impossible bullshit things like this as 'miracles'…she only wished she had more of them throughout her hellhole life, such as not being assigned an idiotic dimwit of a squad leader Tankins to her unit.

Although she now regretted it, Lilason volunteered to drive the bus that had the giant hole in the ceiling created by Kotaro, or now formally known as The First, from earlier. The smell from the outside world was rancid as it poured in through the giant hole like a river, and the blistering icy winds didn't help with the numbness of her shivering fingertips that glowed a perished pale colour of lifelessness as no matter how much she moved them to gain warmth, the satisfied feeling never fully returned to them. She was pretty much alone in the bus, with the exception of the mysterious Zazie, who sat in the closest seat behind Lilason and took a majestic stance whilst leering out the cracked window and looking at the open scenery that was once filled with other cars…only to be replaced with a barren wasteland of nothingness except the empty, abandoned roads themselves, followed by a mild grassy scenery that didn't look healthy at all. Her long stares seemed to burn through the glass, as Lilason could swear she could sense a heat source coming from behind her at times…but she eventually shrugged it off, to busy to give a care about some superstitious idea she had about Zazie…then again, half of the students weren't normal according to Mana's statement she received only mere moments ago before leaving the outskirts of the city…who was to say that Zazie was normal? Lilason didn't want to think about it…at least, not now…she just wanted to reach safety back at the headquarters where a nice warm shower would be awaiting her. Hell, she would be willing to let anyone watch if it meant getting clean again…she felt dirty just thinking about what kind of state she was in.

Lilason's tiring eyesight shifted back and forth between the bus rear-view mirror and the actual roads themselves as she kept catching glimpses of Zazie…finding her rather…strange. The calm and nostalgic girl, who still had chips of barley visible paint still stained against her smooth, fragile skin, barely blinked, and never seemed to change positions…she just sat there…hands in her open lap, blankly staring out the window. Her head wouldn't move, but Zazie's eyes would move with lightning speed at times, looking back at Lilason through the rear-view mirror and glaring deeply into her straining eyes for a split second before looking back to the window. It crept Lilason out. The exhausted soldier loudly grunted, clearing her throat and making it obvious she was about to speak "So…uh…didn't you want to stay in the better condition bus with the others?" questioned Lilason, curious.

The entire time Lilason spent looking back at Zazie through the rear-view mirror, the mysterious girl didn't move an inch at first, as if she had never heard the question. She just continued to stare…looking at nothing that Lilason could see in her sights…until finally Zazie swiftly swayed her head sideways, turning her full attention to Lilason by looking back at her through the rear-view mirror. Both looked at one another, fazed, unable to properly respond straight away for no reason at all…and then, Zazie simply closed her eyes and shook her head with disappointment, swaying her short, luscious hair with her from left to right for the few seconds she replied, before turning back to the window and taking up her usual stance. Lilason sighed, surrendering while doing so…she never gave up this easily…then again, she was never this exhausted to begin with.

Behind them, in a separate bus, were the rest of the surviving members of class 3-A, with Mana as their driver. Of course, the bus was relatively cramped, but Mana was the one who insisted that they all stay together on the least damaged bus to avoid any complications that involved the weather and temperature. However, she was thankful towards the protectors such as Ku Fei, Kaede, Setsuna and even the wounded Takamichi, who all agreed to give any remaining seats to the other girls.

Mana felt terrible. She had to fulfil one of the hardest jobs she had ever received before departing, which was telling everyone that for the time being…they had to keep going, which only meant one thing…leaving Negi. As she expected, tidal waves of arguments and cries for another option hit her hard as she was forced to see the hopeless faces of her fellow classmates…of her family…as she was forced to see the flicker of hope disintegrate from their faces before her very eyes. It hurt. It hurt badly. Even she disagreed with what she was saying…Mana hated to be wrong…it only added to the burden of leaving Negi behind when she saw their reactions. It was almost impossible for her to explain to the others what Takamichi had told her…about the state they were in and that going back for him would do more harm than good. It was a hassle, but with the assistance of their past sensei Takamichi, most of them, even though they hated it, were convinced…most of them. All Mana could do now was drive…drive and keep a close eye on Nodoka, who in her rear-view mirror tightly grasped her Pactio card as she glared at the precious treasure whilst tears could be seen creeping into the corner of the shy girls eye.

Mana hated it. They all hated it. Even Lilason was starting to feel the negativity and weary hatred that she argued in the first place. But they all knew that for now…it was for the best. And Mana…Mana promised herself…whether together with the others or alone…she would get them to safety…and she would return for Negi.

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**Hey guys, here's chapter 22 for your enjoyment!**

**This chapter was really just meant for The First and Negi, but I decided to quickly add in a scene with Mana and the others leaving the city so I could confirm what choice she made, so sorry if it seems a little...cheap. I just didn't want to go into to much details about how everyone was feeling etc.**

**Any reviews will be appreicated, even though only 2-3 people leave a review every now and then =S But they mostly give me good feedback on how I can improve, so thanks to those!**

**And thanks for reading!**


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